Raison D'être (Reason for Being)
by Esther Clemmens
Summary: Hagi survives the explosion of the Met to find that The Red Shield has nearly eliminated the remaining chiropterans. He discovers the existence of the offspring of Diva's chevaliers and human women. They are all female and Julia calls them princesses. What will happen when a rival company begins to use these princesses to create new chiropterans?
1. Chapter 1

**_A/N _ Hello to all those who have waited for this story patiently. I will do my best to post a new chapter every week. For a more detailed summary of this story on my profile. Please enjoy and write a review so I can tell if you like it, hate it, or just want to tell me hi. **

_New Orleans Feb. 15, 2021_

The city was alight with activity. Vibrant colors and lights seemed to thoroughly envelope the Crescent City and the streets roared with the noise of party-goers. The moon was a yellow crescent above the party below. Party-goers and parade members alike were being boisterous as they crowded together in a sea of ruffled, glittery costumes, booze, and exposed skin. Tonight proved beyond a shadow of a doubt why this place is called "Sin City."

Even though the only true day of Mardi Gras was actually what was known as "Fat Tuesday", the inhabitants as well as tourists celebrated the holiday for nearly a week. Tomorrow was that particular Tuesday and by all accounts, the most lively and insane.

Mardi Gras proved to be a vibrant and loud affair here. The dark figure crouched on the roof of a tall building watched the scene below without any expression on his alabaster face. His ebony waves caught in a slight breeze and played about his face as he straightened and looked off to the east. Decided, he leapt into the night to find a quiet, dark place to wait for morning. He would never find his target in this crowd.

David and Julia had recently discovered the creatures he hunted. Creatures- it seemed a strong word to describe them, but it was what they were. They appeared human, but they indeed were not- at least, not completely. These were a hybrid of chevalier and human- all female so far. Julia had given them the title- princesses.

Hagi settled in at a park that was closed for the night. The black scrolling bars of the iron fence that guarded the park were easily jumped over, even with the huge black instrument case that he carried over his right shoulder. He pulled the old instrument from its case.

He took very good care of the cello. It shined with a thorough waxing as he rosined up his bow. When at last he moved the bow across the strings, the song was a melancholic piece of perfection. Only the listening birds and squirrels could appreciate the man's impeccable talent, but the intended heard it, even though she was in a chrysalis on the other side of the planet.

His face never changed as his eyes slid closed and he swayed with the effort in creating the beautiful notes that seemed to flow from his hands as smoothly as melted butter. He made it look effortless, as if it was easy to make the music flow so precisely.

_The first case came about when a woman came to the Red Shield scientist seeking answers. She was referred to by a physician that knew Dr. Julia was becoming an expert in genetics and blood. The woman was an orphan as a child and her problem was that she was now 120 years old and she looked like she was in her 50s. Julia ran some tests, but Hagi happened to be nearby and the scientist was rather surprised when the stoic chevalier began to show some interest. In Hagi's case it only meant that he stuck around rather than disappearing. _

_It was found that this woman had chiropteran blood, but it was not from a drug like Delta 67. This was indeed genetic. Julia looked up a few records and found the genetic sequence that Amshel kept records of for each of Diva's chevaliers. Hagi didn't need all that science, he knew by the way she looked and the timeline that this was Amshel's daughter. _

_The discovery of her helped Hagi to find the others. He found that their presence felt the same as a chevalier, but weaker and less pronounced. You could only sense them if you were in a very close proximity. The human blood of their mothers made them weak in comparison._

_The discovery opened the floodgates, as it were. Soon, there were others that came forward with issues with their aging, or lack of aging. Hagi almost smirked- almost, when a large number of them arrived with blonde hair, green eyes, and the look of an angel. Of course they were Solomon's daughters, ten so far. _

_Julia practically begged Hagi for a blood sample, but he refused. The request brought memories back, painful memories that tore his heart. Blood, screams, war cries, pain, betrayal… fear. No, he couldn't let her- not again. She was not even out of diapers in the first incident, so she couldn't know what it was like. She reasoned with him that she wouldn't use it for anything that dealt with Saya. She needed to simply test a theory. _

_He stood fast and glared the scientist down. She bargained, "A strand of hair, at least. Hagi, I have told you numerous times that I have no intention of waking Saya and I am not lying. What I want to do is test my theory as to why all these offspring are female."_

"_Wouldn't a sperm sample be more effective, Dr. Julia?" a young intern asked as he came to her side with the results of another test. She glared over the rim of her glasses at the young man then turned to see the chevalier giving him his own narrowed-eyed glare. _

_Hagi held back the expression of shock as he wondered at this young intern's audacity. What was Julia up to anyway? "I have nothing to do with these women. They are the offspring of Diva's chevaliers. I suggest you do your testing on them since you will not be getting any assistance in this matter from me," he spoke coldly before leaving the room._

_Julia shook her head as she wondered how she'd be able to convince him that she meant no harm and no one would be hurt from this. _

Hagi stilled the bow as he could feel it in the air- something had changed. Most of the remaining chiropterans were dead, thanks to the Red Shield, but something was in the air. Something was changing and for better or worse, he did not know. A small shiver emitted from the chevalier as he decided it was time to move on. He'd return for this princess in a few days, once the Mardi Gras festivities died down and he could find his query in peace.

_He survived the explosion at the Met, but he had been scarred and torn, his good arm was gone, too. It took nearly 3 years to heal and get to Okinawa- to Saya. He looked down at his healed arm as he placed the cello in the case reverently. It had originally regenerated to a claw, but Julia had used a compound she had discovered and- voila! Unfortunately, it did not affect the right one the same way. It healed much more slowly. Julia supposed it was because it had been that way for so long. _

_It was in 2013 that Kai managed to catch Hagi in the act of changing the withered pink rose for a fresh one. He chatted away in his friendly manner about the American girl that came into his life like a breath of fresh air and how the twins were growing and looking forward to meeting the man that was their Auntie's silent companion. After a lengthy one-sided chat, Kai insisted Hagi come home. The chevalier blinked and stood his ground._

_Kai turned and looked at the chevalier. His red hair whipped in the warm sea breeze as his brows furrowed, "Look, Hagi, Saya said she wanted to live with you and me and everyone else- or did you forget?" He didn't wait for a response and continued the scolding, "Of course you wouldn't. You have a memory that won't quit and I know you. I know you way more than you think I do. You will do anything to make her happy." He then turned and began down the stairs mumbling, "Get your ass home before Saya wakes up and yells at me for not dragging you there sooner."_

_Hagi remained still as Kai began to descend the steps. What would make Kai think that Hagi would just simply follow him? He was immortal and used to a life spent in mostly solitude, only changing for the brief respite of Saya's awakenings. He would, of course, return for that. _

_When the red-haired man realized he wasn't being followed as he commanded Hagi to do, he turned. "Well, are you going to just stand there like a statue?"_

_Hagi stared. His expression stayed the same as his hair played in the salty breeze. _

_He ran his hand roughly through his spikey hair before he clenched his fist and asked, "Do you really want me to hit you again?" Hagi blinked causing Kai to explain, "She may have forgotten to tell you she loves you back, but she did kiss you, Hagi and then she said she wanted to live with you. Most guys would take that as an invitation to move their crap into her house!"_

_Hagi corrected, "She said she wanted to live- as in survive. She was not referring to living arrangements, Kai."_

_Kai scoffed and then laughed. "You can be a real idiot sometimes, Hagi."_

_Hagi raised an eyebrow. He wanted to respond to that, but he knew better. Rather than argue, he began the decent to the street below and go with Kai. He knew that he would never hear the end of this if he didn't. _

Hagi let his wings explode from his back as he continued his journey to the hotel. He had a unit of blood waiting there along with a report to send to Joel about the whereabouts of the newest princesses he found. One was in New York and another was nearby. They were both around 60 years of age, but looked like they were in their late 20s. One was Solomon's and the other was the first one that would belong to James.

Karl stuck with Asian women. His 3 known daughters were in China and one was in Korea. Hagi sensed at least 2 more that were somewhere in Japan, but so far, he had not found them.

He closed the door with a quiet click and made his way to the small refrigerator on the chest of drawers. He hated the taste of cold blood. The room was nearly pitch black as he slung his jacket over a chair and rolled up his sleeve. The chevalier inserted the needle in his vein, not concerned about the dark. Being a chiropteran has its advantages. He hooked the bag on a coat hook in on the entry door and sank into a chair he placed there. His mind drifted as the blood filled his veins.

_Carrie was a nice young woman. It had surprised her when Kai returned home with Hagi in tow. The blue eyed blonde regarded Hagi with caution, he was an odd looking man. Kai insisted that Hagi was his sister's boyfriend and he was simply quite old fashioned but there was nothing wrong with him. She seemed nervous around him and he knew that it didn't make it any better by watching her every move._

_His steel blue eyes made the woman nervous. To her, it always seemed like he was trying to find her flaws and expose her secrets. Kai would scold Hagi about his constant staring, but the chevalier never gave a reply. _

_It was on one of Mao and Okamura's visits that Carrie learned to become more comfortable around Hagi. Mao had mentioned that Carrie seemed anxious around him and wondered why. When Kai explained what was going on, Mao scoffed and told her, "Just think of him as another piece of furniture, everyone else does. The only person he's concerned with is Saya. If you talk like you're the boss of him, he'll do what you say anyway."_

_He ignored Mao's words, but she was right about one thing, his only concern was for Saya. Well, maybe that had been true before, but now there were two others that he felt compelled to look after._

_Kanade and Hibiki were something altogether different. Hagi tolerated the humans, but he felt something genuine for the two girls. He would walk them to and from their daycare when they were younger, but when they started school, he brought them to and from there. He spent the afternoons with them as Kai would work in Omoro with his wife. The chevalier didn't mind babysitting the girls. Truth be told, he adored them._

_Kanade was shy and sweet. Her eyes were brown and she liked to keep her hair short. Her locks were a deep brown and her face resembled Saya's. She liked to be outdoors and run, but she was also fascinated with Hagi's cello. He had begun giving her lessons and she was progressing well._

_Hibiki was bold and daring. Her blue eyes almost seemed to glow constantly. She was often in trouble for starting fights and back talking her teachers. The girl had Riku's face and her mother's personality, but she was a loving and kind soul when you got close to her. She likes to sing and play the piano._

He wondered how the girls were doing. After all, he had been chasing down the princesses here in the US for two weeks now. This must be the last for sure- how much more information did Joel need anyway? Julia should be completely flooded with questions from the women he had contacted.

It was simple. He found the women, checked their background to see if it was a possibility that they were chiropterans, and then relay what he found to Joel. Joel would then send the information to his team of researchers and they would then inform Hagi about what should be done next.

If they were princesses, Hagi would approach then directly and give them a little information about the Red Shield and then give them Julia's business card. They usually contacted Julia within a week.

Hagi relaxed in the chair, letting his body recuperate. Earlier, he had found and killed a chiropteran, so he would need to shower and get the blood off.

Chiropterans were still around but they were harder to find. Since Diva died, the creatures had no blood lust, so the attacks were only when they were driven from hiding due to hunger. They usually would only need to drain one human a week to survive. That was usually when they were caught and either killed by him or member of the Red Shield. Their weakened states made them easy to kill. Julia had retained a few in order to test any remedies on them, so far none worked.

The moon was shining in the window, outlining everything in a pale blue glow, but it was still quite dark. It would have been peaceful if it weren't for the noise of party goers that were stumbling back to their rooms, drunk and boisterous. The quiet chevalier was used to drowning out the background noises of humanity in order to search his thoughts. It was pointless to wonder about them, or even give a second thought. His life was out of touch with theirs, he preferred to interact with them only when necessary. Their presences brought on a hunger he forced into hiding.

Julia insisted that he receive regular transfusions in the major cities where he traveled. There were Red Shield contacts there that would be well stocked, knowing he would need blood. More and more, Hagi noticed he was slowly opening up to these humans.

He spent time in Julia's office, receiving transfusions. At first, he would listen to her tales of motherhood or the latest drug she had created, hoping to reverse the effects Delta 67. But lately, he was speaking a bit more than he usually did. He found the woman to be quite attentive and, for some reason, he felt a need to talk. Most of the conversations were about the princesses and what their strengths and weaknesses were. When the conversation turned to Saya, he would become quiet and opt to fix his gaze on the window.

Julia knew the silent chevalier was feeling anxious about her awakening. She had frequently reassured him that as long as she fed from only him for the week after her awakening, her memories would return very quickly. The chevalier looked skeptical, and for good reason. She knew how it looked- here she was, only in her 50s, who was she to tell him how to do something he had been doing for the past two centuries?

Working for Cinq Fleches had taught her a lot. One thing that was most important now was that one of Diva's chevaliers guarded her during her sleep, but it was a different one that would gorge himself on blood and spend a week with her when she awoke. It insured that her memories would return quickly.

He recalled when Joel came to Julia's clinic last year and spoke to him.

"_Hagi," Joel greeted warmly as he wheeled himself into the clinic where Hagi was sitting, receiving a transfusion at Julia's insistence. "You look much better than the last time I saw you."_

"_I was still recovering from being buried under 50 meters of rubble and a crater for 2 years," Hagi informed as he recalled the injuries he sustained. Nearly a year of hunting and resting had passed before he was strong enough to return to an informant that could help him get back to The Red Shield._

"_I am sorry, even our best rescue attempts could not locate you," Joel responded with a bit of regret in his voice. "We thought that you were closer to the surface. No one thought the explosion would have pushed the foundation of the Met 40 meters lower than where it originally sat."_

_Hagi responded, "There is no need for apologies. I would have returned regardless, for Saya."_

_Joel nodded and then informed, "I feel I should inform you about what I have done to the Zoo." Hagi didn't respond. "I have decided that it would be best if the tower and the catacombs below were to be demolished." _

_He noticed the chevalier raised an eyebrow. Joel raised a hand and reassured, "I did not demolish the mansion. I felt it would be best to rebuild it and let the people of Bordeaux turn it into a museum. They will only mention Joel I name as the original owner of the Zoo and that he was a collector of exotic animals, there will be no mention of the actual events that caused the fire or chiropterans."_

_He noticed the dark haired chevalier fix his gaze on the window that faced the tomb where Saya slept. He continued, "The upper floor and bedrooms will be restored, but the museum has strict orders that the second floor is for Red Shield members only." He lifted a key in his hand, "I hope that when Saya awakens, you will take her there for a time. My hope is that it will bring back happy memories for her." _

_He noticed the chevalier was still keeping his gaze fixed on the window. Joel I's diary had told that Hagi was an inquisitive and very bright young man. He seemed a bit quiet, but another side of him appeared when he was around Saya- he would smile and laugh. Joel added, "I hope it will bring back happier memories for you as well, Hagi."_

_At this, a pair of steel-blue eyes turned slightly toward him and then returned to the window. _

"_Also," Joel said, "It seems the first Joel left you and Saya an inheritance. It wasn't discovered until recently, but considering he left the amount in gold, it is worth vastly more than he originally planned. You each have over one million dollars to your names." He placed a card in his hand along with the key. "The funds for your inheritance have been placed in this account. I trust you know how to use a debit card?"_

_The chevalier did not turn his gaze but gave a slow nod. What use did he have for money- especially such a large amount of it?_

_Knowing he was not going to get much out of Hagi at the moment, Joel politely gave his farewells and placed the debit card and the key on the small table next to Hagi. He was rather surprised when he turned to leave. Hagi spoke, "Thank you, Joel. Thank you for all that you and your forefathers have done for Saya and for me."_

_Joel turned his head and saw the chevalier was actually looking at him. He gave a small smile and a nod before he turned and continued to leave._

Hagi still had no idea what he would do with all the money the first Joel left him. The Red Shield took care of his travel expenses and hotels.

The plastic bag that once contained blood was now empty and the quiet man withdrew the needle, feeling revived. He headed for the shower to clean the blood from himself as well as his clothing. He couldn't meet the newest princess like this, it would cause a panic and that was more than he cared to contend with.


	2. Chapter 2

Bach Mai Hospital February 16, 2021 Hanoi, Vietnam

Bach Mai Hospital is the largest hospital in Vietnam. It is situated in Hanoi, a few miles from the war museum. It was one of the few buildings that survived the Operation Rolling Thunder attacks during the Vietnam War.

The hospital was usually quiet this time of day, save the occasional emergency situation. But in this area of the hospital, it was always quiet. This was where they kept the comatose and the near-death patients. Most of them were on ventilators and didn't speak much, save the occasional grunt of pain or the rare visitor.

Room 602 was always quiet. Nurse Mui was usually one to visit the room and sit with the perpetually young woman that laid in the bed. She was completely comatose and nothing could draw her out. They had tried to revive her with a new and controversial medication last year. The ebony haired, small woman opened her brown eyes, but would never process anything.

The woman that the staff called "Thiên thần" had been at the hospital as far as Mui could remember. No one knows the details of the mysterious woman or what had caused such a deep laceration to her head, leaving her mental capabilities questionable, at best. What frightened everyone away from her room was the fact that the girl did not age.

What's more, the woman mysteriously became pregnant after she had awakened. She was only conscious for a few days, in which she never spoke or even turned her head. The girl just stared at the ceiling and then, one day, simply closed her eyes.

Thiên thần looked like an ordinary Vietnamese girl, dark hair, dark eyes, medium complexion, but she was indeed quite different.

Mui found solace with her. It was nearly 16 years ago that she herself was considered terrifyingly different. She did not know the vitamins that were given to her through the years were actually a drug called Delta 67. The side-effect had almost completely turned her into a monster. She recalled her wonderful friends Riku and Kai trying to save her, but she was caged. Kept like an animal because if she were to be released, she'd kill.

Thankfully, in 2010, a new drug was invented by an organization called the Red Shield. This drug was able to reverse the effects of Delta 67, but only in those that had not completely transformed. Mui was saving all her excess funds as a nurse so she could return to school and study bio-chemistry and join the Red Shield. It was her dream to help them find a cure for the horrible drug created by Cinq Fleches.

Today, the normally quiet room was a beehive of activity. People were shouting as Thiên thần's body was in labor. The doctors were scratching their heads, trying to figure out how the woman's body was laboring with her mind completely gone. It seemed the infant was the one bringing on the labor.

Mui watched from the sidelines as nurses and doctors scrambled around, trying to aid the labor progression. The resident OBGyn, Doctor Minh Tranh, was shouting orders as she examined the progression of the patient's labor.

Dr. Minh, as she preferred to be called, was a divorcee with two children. She was quite plain; wearing glasses and her brown hair had flecks of silver, even at the tender age of 32. The woman was smart as a whip and quite commanding. Once, Mui had shared her secret past with the doctor who simply replied, "I have seen things that I can't explain, Mui. What you tell me is no different than that. I went to a private school here in Vietnam. A young lady was my roommate for a short time- she was from Japan. She vanished as mysteriously as she came, but when she left, she was splattered in blood and carrying a huge Japanese sword."

Mui wondered if it was merely a coincidence that Riku and Kai had a sister there around the same time. The night she became a monster, all she could remember was Riku crying out to her and a beautiful, sad voice singing a very depressing aria. In her mind, she recalled a blurry image of two young, dark haired girls facing off. They looked alike save for their eyes. The one that sang had brilliant blue eyes and the other had glowing eyes the color of blood.

Mui was shaken from her thoughts as she heard shouting all around her.

"Cô ấy không còn sống được! Chúng ta phải cứu em bé!" one of the doctors shouted.

"Thiên thần is dying?" Mui asked in shock.

Doctor Minh nodded through the mask on her face as she readied her hand holding a scalpel.

"Cắt mở của cô!" another doctor shouted as he watched the heart monitor emitting erratic beeps. The woman's breathing was as erratic as her heart rate. He shouted in English, "If we do not remove the baby, it will die, too!"

Dr. Minh nodded and sliced through the woman's abdomen, knowing the woman would not feel the pain.

A squall came from the newborn as it was pulled from her mother's womb. A surgical nurse took over stitching up the patient as the baby howled and shivered in this new world. "It's a girl," Minh announced, but the doctors were busy saving the mother.

Mui held Thiên thần's hand as tears spilled from her eyes. For the first time in almost a year, the woman's eyes were open and she was staring straight at Mui. Her eyes were as dead as the rest of her body. She could feel it inside herself, deep within, that the only reason Thiên thần was kept alive this long was so she could bring this baby into the world.

The baby was referred to as phép lạ bé- meaning "miracle baby." By the next day, the infant's image was plastered in the local news.

"A patient that has been comatose for years gives her life during childbirth to a healthy baby girl," Dr. Minh read, shaking her head.

"This needs to be controlled better," a voice told her. His back was turned to her, but she knew what he looked like. His name was Richards, an American doctor that had taken over Bach Mai hospital 4 years ago. He was very strict about protocol and keeping any news from the papers, but somehow this story leaked and he was not happy at all. "I do not want these reporters to get too curious about this. The baby will suffer if it is discovered how she came into the world. No one will adopt a child like her."

"Sir," Minh responded, "I think she'd have a better chance of adoption in the US than here. It has been 2 weeks and her eyes are still blue. Her skin is still as white as snow. She looks more like an American child than any Vietnamese person."

"No," he responded coldly, "I will not put any undue expense on this child just because she is different. If her origins remain a mystery, someone will think she is just a child that came from the union of an American soldier and an ordinary Vietnamese woman.

"Sir," Minh argued, "We don't even know what her origins are. Her mother was a complete mystery to us all."

"That makes it an even better reason to sweep this under the rug, Dr. Tranh," he responded. "We don't want to upset her for any reason. We don't really know what her origins are and if she was to find out that she was any more different than what is obvious, it may cause her more damage than good. No." He turned his gaze to the window, causing Minh to get a glimpse of his strawberry blonde hair and olive green eyes. Dr. Richards stood about six feet tall and had a square jawline. He wore thin-framed glasses and always seemed completely cool about his surroundings. "It would hurt her more than we can imagine if she found out that she is not normal."

A persistent knock alerted the two doctors and suddenly the brown haired freight train known as Mao Okamura barged into the office. She was a tenacious reporter for the Tokyo Times newspaper. Her husband would arrive in a minute with his calm demeanor and the two would play good cop-bad cop to squeeze out the story.

"Alright, spill the beans, Richards!" Mao commanded forcefully as her husband casually made his way into the office.

"Dr. Richards, as the head of this hospital, you have the responsibilities of everything that goes on within these walls," the scruffy looking reporter reasoned. "We understand that it can be a tough job, but surely you know at least who the father of that baby is."

"Mr. and Mrs. Okamura," Dr. Richards addressed them as he steepled his hands in front of him, "I have no information to give that the newspapers hasn't already published."

"You can't seriously think that we're going to believe that that is all you know about her? That she's been here a decade?" Mao snorted.

"That is what was in the papers as well as the hospital files," Dr. Richards answered.

"Look," Okamura said as he took a seat, "we know that what you have is a Jane Doe in your morgue and an orphaned little girl in your nursery. We just want to know everything you know."

Dr. Richards fixed a steely gaze on the man before his wife interrupted, "Don't you think it's weird that she just suddenly comes up pregnant in the middle of a hospital. Someone had to have seen something… maybe a male visitor?"

"Mrs. Okamura," Dr. Richards responded, "that part of the hospital is not highly watched over. People are placed there to die, so they don't require a lot of care and they seldom get visitors. Our budget allows us to staff the areas where doctors and nurses are needed most."

"Yeah, but didn't this mysterious patient have one visitor? She must have in order to get pregnant," Okamura wondered out loud.

"I know that according to the visitor's log, no one ever visited that room," Dr. Richards answered plainly.

Mao scrunched her nose as she asked, "What kind of man would want to…"

"It's called necrophilia," Dr. Richards informed. "Ideally the subject would prefer a corpse, a comatose patient may also have the same effect." The phone on his desk buzzed and Dr. Richards said, "Excuse me, Mr. and Mrs. Okamura, but I have a hospital to run. I trust you know the way out."

"Richards," Mao growled as she came to the front of his desk and leaned to look into his face, "I know you can be a slippery snake, but I also know that the Japanese Government has been _very_ generous toward the rebuilding of this hospital. I think you should be more forthcoming with us."

Unfazed, Richards picked up his phone and spoke to the person on the other end. Mao was seething as her husband pulled her out of the office grumbling, "We don't need you getting arrested again, Mao."

When the two were boarding the elevator, Dr. Minh looked at Dr. Richards and waited for his phone call to end. "Yes, I don't want any more intrusions from the press," he informed. After a pause he continued. "Indeed, we've had too much attention placed on this case… Thank you. That would be beneficial to all of us."

He placed the phone down and informed Dr. Minh, "The infant will be placed in an orphanage on the outskirts of a small village. This must stay between you and me only."

"But don't you think we should be trying to figure this out?"

"No, Dr. Tranh, I do not," he responded flatly. " No one before us ever cared to and neither do I."

"Dr. Richards, I have seen the woman's file…" Dr. Minh began.

"Dr. Minh Tranh," Dr. Richards emphasized each syllable with a grim expression, "I do not wish to delve further into this woman. Her child will be released to the orphanage tomorrow and the Jane Doe will be laid to rest. This will no longer be up for discussion. Until that time, I want to see no hint of anything about this case, end. of. discussion."

Dr. Minh glared and left the man to his work. She made her way down the hall to the nursery where Nurse Mui was holding the pretty little infant. As Dr. Minh came to her side, Nurse Mui looked up at her.

"She's so beautiful," Nurse Minh commented as she rocked the baby in her arms, "and her skin is so light. I've never seen a child like her born here."

Minh regarded the infant that would soon be in an orphanage. The baby was an enigma like her mother. It was obvious that it was either a European or an American that fathered this child. The baby already had a thin amount of black hair growing on her head. It would be a while before the baby would look anything like either parent, but Dr. Minh recalled seeing those same blue eyes years ago.

"Is she really going to an orphanage?" Nurse Mui asked.

Dr. Minh sighed sadly and answered, "I'm afraid so. It looks like Richards is not backing down or showing compassion."

Mui looked at the infant sadly and kissed her forehead. Tears fell as she spoke, "What a sad thing you'll have to endure, Phép lạ. You will be taken to a new home where you will meet new friends. You may even find people that want to take you home and raise you as their own child. They will love and care for you." The infant opened her ocean blue eyes and gave a soft coo. Another set of tears streamed down Nurse Mui's cheeks as she added, "I wish I could take you with me and raise you as my own, but that's not possible."

Dr. Minh placed a sympathetic hand on her shoulder and reassured, "We all do, Mui."

Thiên thần- angel

Cô ấy không còn sống được! Chúng ta phải cứu em bé! - She's not going to live! We have to save the baby!

Cắt mở của cô- cut her open

phép lạ bé – miracle baby


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N Okay, everyone, today is Friday and here is the latest installment. Sorry the story is going so slow, but it will get exciting soon- PROMISE. ;) I just have a lot of information I want to put across to you guys. **I do not own Blood Plus, the characters of Blood Plus, or any songs mentioned.****

Kai stood in front of Omoro, reminiscing on old times.

The wedding had been beautiful. He and Carrie married on the beach with friends, family, and members of the Red Shield present. Even Hagi was there to witness the event.

_Carrie's long blonde hair shimmered in the breeze as she spoke the words of their vows. Her green eyes shined with happy tears. The white gown fit her waist tightly and made her even more beautiful- Kai never could imagine that was possible. When they turned to friends and family, there were cheers of congratulations. _

He recalled every detail of that day- especially every detail of that night. It was beautiful, magical even. He balled a fist containing a single sheet of paper from Hibiki's notebook.

The girls were beside themselves, they couldn't understand this either.

Kai remembered when he got them home from New York. They cried and cried- it seemed a non-stop affair. Saya was only awake for a few months, but he recalled her groans when she laid one twin down only to hear the other start wailing. He was grateful for Saya being there at least that long.

"Saya," he sighed, "would you look at me now." Tears fell from his face as he faced the orange, pink, and periwinkles of the setting sun. He scrubbed his face with his hands and asked no one in particular, "What am I going to do?"

_It was in 2015, only a year after the wedding, that George was born. He was so proud and happy when he felt the tight squeeze of Carrie's hand as she bore down and delivered their first-born son into the world. _

_He was so tiny, Kai was afraid to hold him. "He may break," he warned as he backed away from Carrie. _

_She held out the small infant with the sweet smile of an angel on her face. "Oh, come on, Kai, you're his father. Don't be afraid." She continued, "Kai, really? You've had the twins since they were born."_

"_Nuh-uh!" Kai exclaimed- hands up in surrender. "I didn't get them until they were 3 months old. Julia explained this to you before."_

_Joel and Kai decided it was best that Carrie be kept in the dark about what Saya, Hagi, and the twins really were. She was told that the Red Shield was a security organization that fought the chiropterans and the other effects caused by Cinq Fleches. Julia explained that Diva, Hagi, and Saya were very highly trained warriors that could defeat the creatures, that's why Saya was gone. Diva was killed 3 months after giving birth to twin daughters and Kai volunteered to take care of the twins since Saya and Diva were his adopted sisters. The identity of the twins' father was not revealed to her. _

_She questioned Kai about Hagi once. He told her that Hagi was the liaison between Saya and Julia. The answer seemed to satisfy her curiosity, she never asked again._

"I just don't understand this," Kai murmured as the balmy sea breeze caused his red hair to move. He clutched the paper more firmly, causing it to crinkle.

The windows were open, allowing the breeze to cool off the inside of Omoro, summer always brought unbearable heat, but the people of Okinawa simply opted for oscillating fans instead of air conditioners. The salt in the air would just rust one quickly.

He could hear Hibiki trying to calm Kanade as she asked, "Why?" A few quiet reassuring sounds came next and then Kanade pressed the issue. "What could we have done? We went out of our way to make everything happy for her." A few harsh sobs followed before she added, "I don't get it?"

He could hear his younger son, Riku crying for his Mommy, but it was Hibiki who answered his cries. He couldn't hear what she said to the boy she thought of as her baby brother, but he could feel the emotion. It was harsh and raw, like someone had sliced his chest open and left his heart exposed to the elements. Tears spilled from his eyes as he gritted his teeth.

_Riku was brought home in 2018. Hibiki and Kanade thought of him as their cute little baby doll. They wanted to do everything from changing diapers to making bottles. They were only 11 years old, but they seemed to adore babies and Riku even more. _

_George was so jealous of his little brother. He would squeeze the babies arm, causing him to cry. Kai would punish him, but Carrie would constantly come to his rescue. The boy was only jealous, but he seemed to grow out of it with time._

"Why the hell would she just leave us?" he asked as he felt the sudden gust of wind come from the opposing direction of the sea breeze. They had been around each other close to 15 years, mostly spent in one-sided conversations, but Kai recognized the arrival of the stoic chevalier.

Kai did not give a backward glance to the man behind him, he knew where he was standing. "Came back for a debriefing with Julia?" he asked, keeping his tone even.

"Yes," was all Hagi offered as he kept his expression unreadable, but Kai could sense his curiosity and concern.

He finally glanced over his shoulder, revealing his bloodshot eyes and the hollows underneath them. "Did you catch up with Jendra in New Orleans? Julia was excited to finally see an offspring from James."

He nodded and responded, "She will arrive here in a few days."

Kai turned back to the view of the ballpark across the street from Omoro. "You know," he mused out loud, "it was so simple when I was a kid. I just did my chores and hung out with friends… played some baseball. Dad did everything for us… now… I'm in his shoes, but I… I'm not sure why."

Kai's face became hard and cold as he growled bitterly, "Here!" He thrust the piece of paper behind him, intending for Hagi to take it. It felt like a noose around his neck, a blade to his throat. It was a sharp, painful ache- the sting of betrayal.

Hagi reached up slowly and took the note from Kai. When he read through the contents, he suddenly understood and all his questions were answered.

_Dear Kai,_

_I just can't do this anymore. I want my freedom- from you and from the kids. I'm young and I want to experience more than a dingy restaurant and beat up old van. I had enough trouble helping you with the twins when they are… well, they're not yours._

_I am young and I want to experience being young. I hope you understand. I truly am sorry._

_Tell our sons that I love them, but I just can't be the person they need me to be right now. Maybe someday, I will._

_And tell the twins I'm sorry I won't be there for their sixteenth birthdays._

_Carrie_

"Unbelievable," Kai commented. He took a breath and through gritted teeth he growled, "Un-freakin'-believable!" He looked at the stoic chevalier and noted the same expressionless look he _always_ wears. "The kids need us- _both_ of us, and she's _out_?"

Hagi handed the crumpled letter back to Kai with the same unreadable expression, but Kai could see it in the man's eyes, he was just as bewildered as Kai. The chevalier turned his gaze upward to the bedroom windows and asked, "How are they taking the news?"

Kai knew Hagi was referring to the kids. He sighed and answered, "George locked himself in his room- I'll talk to him when he's calmed down. Riku is confused- he wants to know when Mommy's coming home. Hibiki is comforting him now- she's staying tough for everyone else. Kanade somehow thinks it's her fault."

Hagi nodded and turned on his heels before he took the knob in his hand. "I will speak with the twins." Hagi looked over his shoulder and regarded Kai, "What do you plan to do?"

Kai snorted, "Do I have a choice?"

At Hagi's cool look, he continued, "Hagi, even if I am devastated, I have to be a father- these kids need me to be their father regardless of what has happened or will happen. I know you won't understand- you're not a father yourself." His eyes turned toward the direction of his family tomb. "Well, maybe you do understand on some level…" Kai trailed off as he ran his hands through his hair.

Hagi watched as the spiky-haired man passed by him and muttered, "Damn, I gotta talk to the boys now if I ever have any hope of opening Omoro on time."

"You could close for tonight," Hagi suggested.

Kai scratched the back of his neck and stilled. His eyes seemed to stare into nothing as his brow furrowed. It was obvious he was giving the idea a great deal of thought. He gave a huge sigh, "No, I have 4 kids to raise on my own now… probably have to hire a bartender so I can cook- now that she's gone…" He clasped Hagi's shoulder, "Besides, running Omoro will be a welcome distraction from the hell I'm going through."

He looked Hagi in the eyes, his hand still on the stiff shoulder. "Thanks," Kai muttered, "for listening to me."

Hagi gave a quick nod and the two men entered Omoro. Hagi watched as Kai came to the twins' room first. Riku was in Hibiki's lap as she and Kanade were sharing a three-way hug with the 6-year old boy. Tears were falling from all their eyes, even Hibiki's. The three kids looked up at Kai as he came into the room and sat on the bed.

Kai had told the girls the truth about who they were and how they came to be on their 13th birthdays. Deep down, he felt Saya should be the one to tell them, but to wait until they were 30 just didn't make sense to him. Hibiki seemed to easily accept the idea, but Kanade took more than a year to come to grips with it.

Hagi moved out of the doorway and greeted a teary-eyed George as he came to the doorway. Both boys had inherited the red hair that was uniquely Kai, but the younger son had the same face as Kai's younger brother. When the girls asked what their real father was like, Kai would respond, "Your brother acts exactly like he used to act- he even has the same face."

Little Riku's red hair was wavy, unlike Kai and George's. Kanade was curling one of the short strands around her finger as a way to comfort the boy as she let her pain-filled tears spill down her cheeks. She spoke so softly when her mouth opened, nearly sobbing, "We thought of her as our mother." She heaved a shaky breath, "We even called her 'Mom'."

George sat on the other side of Kai and leaned into his father's embrace as Kanade continued to speak. Tears pooled in her eyes as she looked up at Kai, "Why, Dad?" She sobbed and asked in a heart-breakingly soft voice, "What did we do wrong?"

Kai pulled them all closer to him and commanded in a soft voice, "None of this is your fault. I don't want any of you blaming yourselves… and I don't want you to blame Mom either." He continued softly, "A lot of bad stuff happens, guys. Sometimes it can really hurt you and when it does, you do some really stupid things out of anger." He took a breath to collect his thoughts.

Hibiki beckoned her 'Uncle Hagi' over with a gesture. He obediently pulled a chair near the bed and sat down. To his surprise, Kanade curled up in his lap. The teenage girl had the same small frame as her mother and aunt, reminding the chevalier of his sleeping queen. Hagi cradled the grieving girl, allowing her to sob into his chest. He could sense Hibiki and Kanade both telling his telepathically that they were glad he was here. The stoic man's face stayed the same as he gave a slight nod.

Kai smiled at the thought of what they looked like right now- one broken and very strange family, but they would be happy. He promised his sister that he would make a comfortable life for all of them. This may be a setback, but he would find a way to bring them all happiness. His father made a wonderful home for the three of them on his own, Kai knew he could do the same thing for his family.

He cleared his throat and began to speak, "You guys remember when I told you that I used to play baseball when I was a kid?" The kids all nodded and looked at their father optimistically. "I used to love everyday- waking up with the sun to run out to the park. I would play with the all the kids that came there. My dad had to practically drag me home every day for dinner."

His face fell as he recalled aloud, "One day I was riding my bike home from school. I was going too fast, in a hurry to get to the park. A kid jumped out in front of me and I had to swerve to miss him. I fell from my bike and my body hit the ground… hard. It messed up my shoulder and I couldn't play ball anymore."

"The next few years were bad. I was so angry- angry at myself, angry at the kid, angry with everyone. I would get into fights and skip school. Man, I was always in trouble. It took losing your grandfather, my brother, and almost losing my sister for me to understand that life is too short to be angry and bitter. We have to enjoy the moments we have and do the right thing- no matter how hard it may be."

He took a breath and then added, "I don't want you guys to be angry or bitter. I want you to be happy. Have some faith in your old man that everything will work out. Nankurunaisa." He gave a wide grin and the children grinned along with him. He even noticed the chevalier give a small smile as he held Kanade in his arms.

On the other side of the world, far to the north, a man spoke in with a heavy accent as he toured the newly built facility to the middle aged doctor by his side. "I trust you have tracked down a few of the chevalier's offspring, Dr. Smith."

The doctor kept pace with the man with silver streaked hair and thin framed glasses, the CEO of the new company. "Yes, we have discovered the location of three in the United States. The Red Shield is keeping any information tightly under wraps. They have the advantage, Hagi is able to sense them where we can't."

The tall man regarded the doctor coolly and asked, "This poses a problem, no?"

"For what you plan to do, it does not. We only need a few and with the samples of the queen's blood, we can make several mice. All that is needed is to capture at least 12 of them so our samples will have varied results. We will then test the endurance and fighting skills of each to determine which offspring will be the most effective," Dr. Smith responded.

"Let me know when the laboratory is ready to begin phase two of our project," he requested. He smiled as he reached into his pocket. "It is sad that Dr. Collins did not live to see this. He wanted so badly to have it finished before his death, but I was in prison."

Dr. Smith nodded and flipped his clipboard open. "If you will excuse me Mr. Argiano, I must go to Sector G to make certain they have the cells to my specifications."

As the doctor left, Van Argiano stood at the banister and looked down into the tank below. Soon they would be manufacturing chiropterans again. Afterward, they would have a princess to impregnate. They would manufacture thousands of chiropterans- a perfect army to loan out to the highest bidding country.

After that phase is completed, Dr. Smith would find a way to impregnate the strongest offspring in order to continue the studies his predecessor was so keen on- how a chiropteran works. Dr. Collins had taught the young man well and now he would get to test the doctor's knowledge in a real facility.

He took a deep breath and thought of his own agenda.

After the collapse of the Met, the police found him and he was arrested. Because Amshel had named him as CEO of Cinq Fleches America, he was the one that held the brunt of the blame for Delta project and the fallout thereof.

The Red Shield didn't lift a finger to help him- in fact, Joel made certain that even more charges were levied against him. He didn't even understand what was going on with the sudden transformation at the Met, Amshel never kept him in the loop on anything.

He was completely bewildered by it all until a man came to visit him in prison. He recognized him immediately- the turncoat scientist, Dr. Collins.

Dr. Collins explained everything that had happened in great detail. Finally, Argiano understood what was going on and why. He had just been a pawn, a front man this whole time. He was upset, but more than that, he wanted revenge. He wanted the Red Shield to pay for taking his good name and dragging it through the mud.

_He could still see the smirk on Dr. Collins' face as he asked, "Do you want revenge in them?_"

"_Yes," he responded from behind the plate glass. _

"_I have a plan_. _I may not live to see it come to fruition, but I know you will" Dr. Collins informed._

"_As you can see, I will be here a while. You may want to get someone else," Argiano responded as he stretched his arms up. He looked terrible in orange._

"_No," Dr. Collins responded immediately, "you have a head for business; I have a head for medicine. I have an assistant- he will continue on in my place, should I die before it comes to pass."_

_Argiano nodded as the aging man looked around carefully before he pushed a flash drive through a small hole in the plexiglass. Van looked around and palmed the small object, knowing what he needed to do._

_When visiting hours ended, Van crept into the prison library and inserted the flash drive. Plans to a facility as well as a list of names to be considered as staff popped up on the screen. He even had a place to build it- a small village in Iceland, not far from where the Schiff were housed._

_Van quickly removed the flash drive and took it back to his cell. In his palm, he held the key that unlocked all his dreams: money, power, and revenge._

Van pulled out the flash drive and ran his fingers over the contours of the small object. He looked around and thought, _"All of this, was once nothing more than plans on a flash drive."_ How soon would it be before they captured their first princess?


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N I'm posting this in the morning so I won't forget. It's been a busy week and next week isn't looking much better.**_  
_

_**April 2033**_

Julia sat in her office, typing her notes on the three princesses in front of her. Amy, Renee, and Denise sat in front of her. Amy, the oldest, had dark, straight hair and a tall broad frame. Her eyes were brown and calculating, just like her father Amshel's once were, only Amshel's were blue. She and her two sisters were possibly the most intimidating women Julia had ever met.

Renee and Denise were from France, but Amy was from Italy. According to Joel's diary, Amshel had been married, but his wife ran off to Italy when he became absorbed in the study of the anonymous test subject locked away in the tower. All the women had lived into their 100s, but their hair contained only trace amounts of grey and barely a wrinkle among them. They were in excellent health and Julia found that their blood contained properties that heal human illnesses.

Unfortunately, their blood could also create chiropterans, but they were weak and even slower than the ones Saya, Hagi, and the Red Shield had hunted over 20 years ago. A sandy blonde-haired young man came into the clinic and walked to the lab. Julia glanced his way briefly before she continued to question Renee.

The sandy blonde joined them, closing the door behind himself. As he took his seat, Renee continued in French. The young intern was had just graduated with a degree in languages. Julia had so many new clients from all over the world and was grateful for her son, Michael's help. His special talent for learning languages was earning him a living now.

He translated her information to Julia and tried to calm the elder princesses down as they began to shout excitedly.

Once things settled down, Michael gave the translation, "Renee says, 'I was approached by a man who claimed to be with an organization called Fimm Örvar. He wanted her to come with him to run a few tests.'"

Amy jumped in shouting in English, a language she picked up when she was staying with her granddaughter in England, "He showed up and my granddaughter's house, too! They wanted to take me to their facility and claimed I would be there for a year. I told him I was not some experiment to be prodded." Her face scrunched as if she was looking at a dead rat.

Julia tried to calm her and responded, "We have never heard of this company before. Please give us some time to research it and find out more information." She waited while her son translated to the others and then continued, "When you go home, take extra precautions: don't open your doors to strangers, don't go anywhere alone, and keep a watchful eye for people lingering around your homes."

Michael translated and the women nodded. Denise spoke up, Michael translated, "Are our children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren in danger?"

"No," Julia responded, "they have very little of the queen's blood in them and no powers beyond a slow aging process. But they should stay watchful. We really don't know how much this rival company knows. Do any of you know where this company is located?"

All shook their heads as they began to rise and head for the door. Julia rose and followed them out, saying a very polite goodbye to each of them. She huffed as she shut the door and looked out her office window at the pouring rain just outside. The monsoon had arrived and the rain would be around a while. She sighed as her son came to her side. Finally choosing to speak, she asked, "What does Fimm Örvar mean?"

"I don't know. It sounds German, but it isn't. I would have to talk with my old professor, maybe he'd know," the young man responded. His firm jaw set, he noted, "They seemed a bit angry."

Julia smiled and responded, "I would be, too. Can you imagine how they must feel? They are just happy old women wanting to live out their lives and enjoy their families, but someone wants to rip them from their happiness to run some tests." She took a deep breath and reached for a cigarette. There was more to be concerned about. The company could be trying to create more chiropterans like Cinq Fleches.

Who was running it was no mystery. With all Diva's chevaliers dead, as well as Diva herself, no one was left other than Van Argiano. Dr. Aston Collins was long dead, cancer took him to the grave.

Argiano was certainly a CEO, but he was no scientist. What was his plan? He obviously was gathering princesses, but why? All the scientists that even knew chiropterans existed were all members of the Red Shield.

At that moment, a slender woman in her 30s with long brown hair barged into the room shouting behind her, "Will you move already? I would _like _to get as much information as I can before we head back to Hanoi and that bastard, Richards."

A laid back looking, taller man with graying sideburns and stubble came into the room. He looked like he had just come from the jungle, while his wife was looking fresh as a daisy. Julia stood and greeted, "Mr. and Mrs. Okamura, it's been a while."

"Hey, Dr. Julia," Mao greeted hurriedly. Waving her hand, she requested, "Can we skip the formalities since my husband and I need to get back to Vietnam before Dr. Richards goes home."

Julia raised an eyebrow, "Richards- isn't he the Dean of Medicine at Bach Mai Hospital?"

"One and the same," Okamura responded as he leaned against a wall. "He's withholding information from us." He didn't wait for a response as his wife was tapping her heeled foot impatiently. "We have been informed by a number of reliable sources that a princess may have been born there under very mysterious circumstances… in 2021."

Michael's face scrunched, making him look like his father when he was angry. "Wait… all of Diva's chevaliers died in 2007."

Julia took a breath and pulled her glasses down to rub the bridge of her nose. "There must have been another experiment by Cinq Fleches…"

"Impossible," Okamura responded. "The company hasn't existed since 2007."

Mao snorted, "I bet Argiano's behind this. You know he was released from prison around 2021. He disappeared and we have absolutely no leads." Irritated by this sudden change in topic, she spoke, "Besides, we haven't gotten to the weird part." She sat down and continued, "The woman that gave birth to the child was a Jane Doe that was, according to hospital records, brought to them in 2009- in a coma with a huge laceration that had cut deep into her brain."

Her husband continued, "In the time she was there, she never aged and never awoke. It was in 2020 that she was given an experimental stimulant that awakened her for only 3 days. In those three days, she never responded, only looked at the ceiling. It was a few weeks after she fell back into a coma, it was discovered she was pregnant. She died bringing a daughter into the world."

Mao produced a photograph of a tiny infant with blue eyes, black tufts of hair and very fair skin. "Looks like Amshel, but the tiny curls make me think…"

Julia rose from her seat and looked out the window into the rain. "We can't truly know until we find her and give her a DNA test."

"That's harder than it seems," Okamura responded. "She was taken to a small orphanage on the border of the ocean. The records are sealed, but for some reason, we know she was moved to several orphan homes throughout Vietnam. We can't find her. I was wondering if you could send Hagi out there. Maybe he can locate her."

"I'm sure he'd agree, especially now," Julia responded. "There is a new company out there. It's called Fimm Örvar. They want to run tests on the princesses. We only know that they have contacted Amshel's offspring. I need to contact the others and see what can be done." She then asked, "What did your contacts tell you?"

She smiled at Mao's confused expression, "You must have unearthed _something_ worth flying all the way back to Hanoi in such a hurry."

Okamura cleared his throat and continued, "According to many sources that worked at the hospital 10 or more years, the Jane Doe was there a lot longer than just 15 years."

"Yeah," Mao interrupted, "there was one lady that worked there for 20 years. She said that the woman had been there at least that long… and never aged."

"Is it possible this woman was one of the princesses herself?" Julia asked.

The couple looked at each other. "Why didn't we think of that?" they asked simultaneously.

"Where is her body?" Julia asked.

"I think they may have buried it in a common grave," Okamura assumed. "We could have a Vietnamese contact claim to be a relative that wants an autopsy."

They all looked at each other and then Mao and Okamura sprang into action. As they made it out the door, Michael asked, "Do you think the dead woman is one of the princesses?"

"It's the only way to explain it, Michael," the silver haired doctor replied. She looked out into the rainy weather and toward the ocean. "I wonder what Saya would think of this world when she awakens. We have all changed so much." She then looked down, "We thought the fighting was over, but it looks like another battle is rising up along with this mysterious new company.

_~~in Louisiana~~_

The dark haired, dark skinned girl was bringing the potato salad to the table, just like her grandmother had requested. Her mother had the same look as her. The same as the man whose picture sat on the mantle place next to his wife. They were her great-grandparents, Latisha and James.

Kendra told the tale of her parents to her children and now her children's children. Latisha was a sweet and wonderful woman- a very active woman in the Southern Baptist church and an amazing mother to her two daughters, Kendra and Jendra. She passed away peacefully in her sleep in 1988.

Her husband was killed in Vietnam, or so they were told. He was a military man of some note and was assigned to a special project during the Vietnam War. The only thing the family knew was that it was a special mission and he was to guard the asset of the United States Government. It was a weapon known as Diva. He was gone for long periods at a time and when he returned, he looked the same as he always had- not a grey hair… not a wrinkle.

After the war ended, he disappeared. It was believed he was killed.

Kendra was 8 and Jendra was 5 when he left for the Vietnam War, but they both remember him. He was very strict away from his family, but at home, he would smile and play with the girls. The last time they saw him, they were 12 and 9. He was no longer smiling or even showing a hint of love. Their mother would just sigh and say, "He was more in love with his work than he was with me."

Suddenly, a loud bang attracted the attention of the 8-year-old granddaughter as she set the table. Her mother and her looked toward the front door as the tall, muscular creole mad she knew as her father answered the door. They couldn't hear what the person wanted, but they did hear their father and husband's response, "Tain't no way you takin' Kendra wit you. I won't let it happen."

Suddenly, they were surrounded by guns and they heard a scream come from the kitchen. The reflection of the events reflected in the dark brown eyes of the young girl as she watched them forcefully take her grandmother away. She screamed and heard her mother's scream as well. They pulled the woman that was now 75, but still only looked to be in her late 20s.

Kendra was thrown into the back of a van and locked in. The window had some sort of bars on it that blocked most of the light. But stripes of light still came through where the bars didn't cover and fell on the floor, looking like tubes of light in the darkness. A rustle stilled her and she tried to peer into the darkness to see who was there.

"Kendra?" a voice asked. It was sweet and melodious to her ears. She'd recognize that voice anywhere.

"Kaylee?" she asked. The two women embraced in the darkness, clinging to each other for every ounce of comfort.

When Kendra went to the Red Shield 10 years ago, she found that she and her sister were not the only ones that had a lack of aging. Apparently, their father was a servant for this creature named Diva. The doctor claimed Diva looked like an ordinary teenage girl, but she was am immortal chiropteran queen that was really more than 150 years old when she died. James, her father was Diva's youngest chevalier and the only one that had a family.

According to the documents of her oldest chevalier, Amshel, James was turned in 1959- before the war began and before the girls were conceived.

Kaylee was from Georgia and born in the 1950s. Her mother worked in New York as a receptionist for a man named Solomon Goldsmith. She never told Kaylee who her father was, but Julia did a DNA test and proved it. According to Julia, Solomon had 12 daughters scattered throughout the United States, one in Germany, and two in France. From the photos Julia showed them of Diva's chevaliers, Solomon was quite handsome.

"I feel better now that I know I'm not alone," Kaylee sighed. "I heard them say something about securing Renee."

"You mean Renee from France?" Kendra asked.

"No, I think it was Renee from Vancouver… my half-sister," she corrected. She then added, "They were talking in English. I'm sure if they were looking in Paris, they'd at least have a French accent."

Both women gave a long sigh and sat thoughtfully. Kendra's voice sounded so small when she spoke, "I wonder what they want?"

Kaylee responded, "Amy called me yesterday and told me that there were some men from a new pharmaceutical company that wanted to run some tests on them. You know Amy, she refused in a very big way."

Kendra chuckled dryly, "I can only imagine…"

"She spat on them and slammed the door in their faces."

No laughter came, but Kendra finally responded, "That sounds like Amy alright." After a shared moment of silence in the darkness, the two bounced as the van hit a bump. "I wonder where they're taking us."

"I don't know," Kaylee responded as her green eyes tried to see the van around her, but it was just too dark.

Julia had explained the powers their fathers had, but they only inherited the power to create weaker chiropterans with their blood. It also gave them an extraordinarily long life span… not to mention, their youthful appearances. Some of them did have small gifts they inherited.

Kaylee was able to hear things that no human could hear. She was known to eavesdrop on conversations that occurred on the other side of a building. She relayed the information she picked up from the front of the van.

"He says they're on their way to pick up the next target. They have secured Renee, Adriana, Carol, Sky, and Louise and they are headed to the airport. They have drugged them to keep them compliant," Kaylee explained. Her green eyes turned to her friend's in horror, "They plan to drug us, too."

The van came to an abrupt stop and the doors slammed in the front. "Where are we?" Kendra asked in an airy voice. No answer came and the women were left to each other.

As time passed, the women became more panicked, but the fear was held at bay by the fact that at least they had each other.

Kendra murmured, "I wish Jendra was here. She's the one that can connect with that chevalier."

"Oh, you mean the one that contacted us first- the really quiet one," Kaylee responded animatedly. "Gosh he was handsome, but so creepy."

"I thought so, too, but Jendra says he's just really lonely. She can sense a bit from him- like that he's in love with his queen."

"You mean Diva's sister? The one that killed her?" Kaylee asked.

Suddenly, the doors opened, temporarily blinding the women inside from the bright daylight that came from the open door. Someone was throw inside, but she remained face down on the floor of the van as Kendra's eyes adjusted enough to see a tall, muscular blue eyed man holding a needle. Whoever was on the floor was obviously drugged.

The doors slammed shut and they helped the woman to sit on the upholstered seat. Kendra recognized the scent of her sister, Jendra. She threw her arms around her and cried, "Sissy! Oh god, not you too."

Kaylee came to her knee on the floor in front of Jendra and tried to stay calm. "Jendra, please, you're our only chance. Contact the chevalier. He can help us."

There was no response. A strip of light moved over the back of the van through the window. When the light flashed over Jendra, Kaylee could see she had been beaten and was no longer conscious. "Jeez!" she gasped as she huddled with the two women.

After a time, Kendra spoke, "I don't know who these guys are, but they know a lot about us."

"How do you know that?" Kaylee asked.

"They knew that Jendra can telepathically connect to the chevalier, that's why they drugged her. They will drug all of us before we get on whatever plane is waiting for us at the airport so we won't know where we are going." She then commented honestly, "There's very little hope."

"Don't say that," Kendra argued as she did what she could for her older sister. "There's plenty of hope. We just need to get Jendra to wake up."

The van came to a stop. The women listened in terror as footsteps moved around the van. When the door opened, two dirty looking men with nasty yellow grins jumped into the van and pinned the two conscious women to the van floor.

Kendra and Kaylee screamed for all they were worth, but they could feel the men above them laughing at their useless attempts to attract someone's attention. A man in a white lab coat appeared in the light of the open doors.

He spoke in a strange accent- it wasn't German, but it sounded similar. "Scream all you like, no one will hear you. We are in an abandoned parking lot that is completely unmonitored."

With that, he entered the van and Kaylee screamed as a needle was pressed into neck. Kendra watched as her friend's body became lax and her pretty mouth dropped open, drool dripping the van floor. Her blonde curls danced in the breeze that came into the van.

Kendra suddenly felt the sting of the needle in her neck. The liquid was cold and it made her go numb all over. Blackness was creeping up as the men exited the van. She heard one make a nasty comment about having 10 minutes alone in the back of the van. She prayed he didn't get what he wanted.

Her mind drifted back to Mardis Gras 2021.

_Kendra sat in her sister's living room, watching the clock on the mantle ticking away as she let her unexpected guest in. She had decided to stay with her sister in Sulfur for a few days while they cleaned up after Mardis Gras in New Orleans. It was then that the mysterious cellist made his appearance._

_Jendra entered the room in her blue cotton dress followed by a tall gentleman with a large case strapped to his left shoulder, a bandaged hand holding the strap. He was dressed in charcoal grey slacks and a coat that matched with tails that went to his knees. His white button down shirt was nearly the color of his skin. His steel blue eyes roamed the room through the jet black hair that fell about his face, most being pulled into a blue ribbon at the back of his head. He looked as if he came from some other time._

"_This is my sister, Kendra," she introduced as the man stiffly gave a formal bow. Jendra then said, "This is Hagi, he says he has some important information we need to hear."_

_She nodded, not sure what to make of the man or his sudden appearance. "Okay," she spoke slowly, "what do you have to say, Hagi?"_

_The man spoke in a nearly monotone voice, "I am with an organization called the Red Shield. It has come to their attention that you possess unique qualities such as a lack of aging and an unnatural longevity. If you wish to learn more about what you are, you may contact Dr. Julia with the Red Shield." He held out a business card to Kendra as Jendra already had one. "If you need financial assistance for the plane tickets, contact Joel Goldschmidt. His number is on the bottom of the card."_

_Kendra looked at her sister quizzically. She nodded and responded, "Thank you for the information, Hagi. I am sure we'll be contacting them soon."_

_The man gave a quick nod and bowed before he exited the room, followed by Jendra. _

As Kendra lost consciousness, she finally recalled the name of the chevalier. She murmured weakly, "Hagi, help us."


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N Hi all, I am updating fro my sister's place. It's so busy here that I haven't had time to type! Grr. Anyway- on with the story!**

Julia stood in her white lab coat, testing the cells from the body that was exhumed and brought to her clinic in Okinawa. She had noted the laceration that went half-way through the girl's skull. It was amazing she had survived as long as she had. It was obvious there were no amazing powers this girl possessed- she couldn't be more than 17. The fact that she had lived without aging for such a long time made Julia think this girl was an undiscovered queen.

Looking at her face, Julia noticed her eyes were more slanted and her skin was darker than Saya's. It was the results of the blood and DNA tests that confirmed the girl was just an ordinary Vietnamese teenager that happened to give birth to something special. Her belly was cut open for the autopsy, but revealed only that she had given birth Nothing more about the baby that came from the tests.

Confounded, Julia went back to the door and pressed a button for the intercom. "David, I need to speak with you," she announced into the speaker.

"I'll be there in a moment," the disembodied voice responded.

As she removed her gloves, she exited the room and waited. She pulled out a cigarette and lit up, taking a long drag and calming her nerves and her frustration. A silver and blonde haired man with heavy lines around his mouth came to stand before her. He smiled slightly, thinking this would be a warm visit between husband and wife, but the smile disappeared as he noticed her cigarette.

"David, we need to find the baby this woman had. I believe she is one of the princesses," she informed.

David's brow furrowed when he spoke, "It took us two years to have the necessary paperwork to find this body, let alone exhume it. It will take even more time to sift through the numerous orphanages to find where she was- not where she is."

Julia looked at him with hope gleaming in her eyes, "We could send Hagi there. Maybe he could sense her presence."

David shook his head and responded, "Hagi is looking for Fimm Örvar, where the kidnapped princesses have been taken. I know he's the one that discovered the name was Icelandic for Five Arrows, but finding the facility where the women are is more difficult."

"I know," she responded. "The chiropterans that they created are much weaker than the ones we faced 20 years go. Perhaps they can be killed with those bullets Joel developed while you and Kai were in England."

It's not just the chiropterans, Julia," David responded. "The facility seems to be underground. There's a permanent layer of under the ground there. It will be difficult to fend off chiropterans and find the entrance to the facility.

Julia took another drag from her cigarette and thought. Her eyes lit up as she came to a realization. "Lulu," she said. "Lulu could take over his efforts- just for a week."

David gave her an intense gaze and asked, "She is already there, helping Hagi and the army of Red Shield members that are fighting their way through. Even if she did get past the chiropterans, do you think she'll be able to sense the weak signatures of the princesses without Hagi? "

Julia puffed and pressed her head against the wall behind her. After a deep breath she begged, "Just for a week. He'll find her in a week, David."

He shook his head, "You know Joel is more concerned about rescuing those princesses. He would not want to abandon them for something like this."

"I could explain the situation," she suggested.

He gave her a lop-sided grin and responded, "You could, but I know he'll say no."

Okamura kicked the dirt as he came out of yet another remote orphanage. Mao was filing her nails by a nearby tree. Finally looking up with a smug look she asked, "So… what did you get?"

"Another dead end," he answered. "They never had a baby here that fit the description."

She huffed in frustration and then wondered out loud, "Jeez, how hard could it be to find a fair skin, blue-eyed baby among a bunch of dark-skinned, brown-eyed kids?"

He leaned against the tree next to her and huffed, looking up at the branches moving in the breeze. After a moment of contemplation, he took out a pack of cigarettes and pulled one free. A sudden breeze slapped it from his hand and he looked accusingly at Mao.

"What?" she asked, looking completely clueless.

They were both startled by a young boy standing in front of them. He gave a smile that made them feel gooseflesh rise on the back of their necks. The boy spoke in fluent Japanese, "You shouldn't smoke those, you will die."

The couple regarded the boy. He was wearing clothing that was torn and patched so many times that one quick pull would unravel the entire thing. His shoes were way too big and his hair a bit shaggy.

"I heard you ask for the girl. She was here for a short time," the boy informed them. "If you give me candy, I'll let you know what you want."

Okamura rolled his eyes and muttered, "Imagine that, I'm negotiating with a child." He reached into the car and found a melted chocolate bar in the console.

The boy's eyes lit up as he caught sight of the beloved wrapper. His eyes shifted from the candy to the reporter and then back to the candy. Before Okamura could protest, the candy was snatched away.

The boy informed, "Everyone called her Snow White because she was white like the snow. She got into a lot of trouble wherever she went. They found her body by the stream over there." He pointed past the trees to a fast-moving stream. "She was killed by a wild animal- that's what they tell us."

"What was her real name?" Okamura asked.

He shook his head as he began to lick the open wrapper, smearing chocolate all over his face. "No one knows. She showed up 3 months ago and they found her dead body two days ago. They burned it so the creature wouldn't come back."

They followed the boy to a pile of burnt ashes. "There," he informed, "is all that was left of Snow White."

"Creature?" Mao asked.

"Yeah," the boy answered through his chocolate smeared face, "yêu tinh killed children in the local village. It followed Snow White wherever she went. It is why she moved from orphanage to orphanage."

Mao frowned as she turned and looked at the ashes. "How did she die?" she asked as she felt the hair on the back of her neck stand on end.

The boy sucked the ends of his fingers and replied, "The teacher found her, lying on the beach with holes in her neck. I guess yêu tinh finally decided to eat her instead."

Mao winced at the boy's apathy. A young woman was murdered here, but he didn't seem to even care. Okamura thanked the boy with a sober expression and they made their way to the orphanage.

"Yes," the teacher answered, "the girl was here for a short time. Her looks were alarming enough without the added superstitions that followed her. People constantly talked about yêu tinh killing villagers."

Mao looked at the children playing outside. "What is yêu tinh?"

"It means demon," the teacher responded. She took a deep breath and sadly looked out the window. "She was so very sad while she was here. No one would talk with her and she had little more than the clothes on her back."

Okamura huffed and then commented, "Well this is a very sad ending to the life of a miracle baby."

Mao nodded and the teacher asked, "Miracle baby? She was the one born in 2021?"

The couple nodded and the teacher gazed out the window. Mao spoke up, "Could we take some of her ashes?" She then proceeded with a lie to ebb the teacher's curiosity, "Her mother's relatives recently claimed her remains and I'm certain they would want the remains of her child to rest with the mother."

The teacher nodded, "Of course."

Mao and Okamura headed to the airport with the remains of the miracle baby stowed safely in a box. They hoped Julia could at least find something newsworthy in all of this.

"Wake up!" cried Kendra as she shook her sister. It was the first time in the two years they had been locked into this place that she had seen her sister. "Jendra, please wake up."

Kaylee's blonde hair was not as curly since she could rarely fix it. Dirt trailed in lines down her porcelain face from the tears that had dried there. She missed the sunlight so much. She missed freedom. Her green eyes regarded their cell mate Renee.

She was searching the cell for a hole- a crack… anything to give them hope to escape. Her hands ran over the cold stones and iron bars. Light brown waves of hair fell over her face as she knelt on the floor and began to dig her fingers into the small hole she found.

Kendra finally was able to rouse her sister. Deep brown eyes blinked and stared in confusion at her own. She smiled through the haze of tears and said, "Hey, Sissy."

"W-where are we, Ken?" she asked her younger sister as she groggily took in her surroundings. The other two that were in the room with them instantly came to her side. She wondered at the blue hospital gowns they were all wearing and that her sister's hair was longer. The walls around her were thick and through the haze, she realized they were made of brick. Even though the place was heated and the windows were very thick, she felt a chill that caused her body to feel as if a live wire was running through her spine. "K-Ken, what h-h-happened?" she asked as her eyes widened.

"Shh," Kendra soothed, "I'm not sure why they drugged you for so long, but I will give you the details. A little over two years ago, we were taken from our homes. They run tests on us and usually lock us up individually… I don't know what's changed. I think they knew you were able to contact the chevalier- Hagi. I don't know what to do, Jendra."

The elder sibling could sense her sister's panic and sat up carefully, trying to shake the dizziness. "I still feel weak," she informed, "but I will try to contact him. First I need to get something to eat."

She tried to sit up, but blackness swirled behind her eyes and she fell back into Kendra's lap. Renee brought her some of the slop their captors called food and began to feed her. She was very thin and her bronze complexion was rather grey looking. "She needs a transfusion," she shouted, catching a guard's attention.

A few minutes later, a white lab coat appeared in the door. The doctor had olive skin and dark black hair. His eyes were the color of warm sun tea. He quickly moved to attach an IV drip to the woman lying on the floor. "There are cots on the side," he informed as he motioned to the wall.

Kendra's eyes followed where he motioned and then back to him. Her black eyes burned into him as she growled, "Let us go."

The doctor smirked and gave a short laugh, "We know your power levels. We have studies you and your fellow princesses. You don't have the strength of the queens. Your power is all in the blood that flows in your veins, that is why we do not sedate you."

Renee pushed her way into the conversation, green eyes blazing, "Then why did you sedate her?" She motioned to the barely conscious form on the ground.

He smirked again, "You know why." The princesses just stared at him, they knew the answer. She was the one that could contact the red queen's chevalier, Hagi.

The princesses stared as the man rose to leave- watching intently as he left. As soon as he was through the heavy metal door, they sprang into action removing the IV. "Get her head," Kendra commanded as she pulled her thin gown down over her shoulders.

The princesses lifted her to her sister's neck and they used the needle to scrape a wound into Kendra's neck. Jendra smelled the blood and her eyes snapped open, but did not glow like the queens. She fed on her sister's offering, but pulled back after a time- not wanting to take too much. They all knew the blood that was given was drugged to keep her asleep.

It wasn't long after they arrived that Kaylee reiterated what she had heard through the wall- a meeting between the CEO and the doctors and scientists in charge of the program.

_The head scientist introduced himself as the assistant to the late Dr. Collins before he began to explain his findings._

_He cleared his throat and began, "The creatures that have been dubbed "princesses" by Dr. Julia Silverstein are not as powerful as the queens. They are the product of the chevaliers and human women. Their blood is weak in comparison to queens as well as chevaliers. _

_They do need blood to survive, so we will need regular supplies. We must be careful to keep them well fed, since we will be taking blood from them at regular intervals to create the mice that will guard this facility. We will see which one creates the strongest and most intelligent mice, the rest will be released at that point."_

"_Why didn't we just take the sleeping queen?" another voice asked._

"_Her chevalier returned," a heavily French accented voice answered. "We thought that he was dead, but he proved to be very resilient. No human is capable of defeating him, all of Diva's chevaliers have fallen either by his hand or his queen's. There is no one that could defeat him to take her from him. It is why we chose to take the next best thing, the princesses."_

_The doctor continued, "As you all know, the offspring of the princesses have very little powers and their blood cannot produce chiropterans. However, they do need to consume blood to survive, but not as much as queens of chevaliers."_

"_But the chiropterans that we have created from their blood are all weak and they are defeated easily in comparison to the ones that were created by Diva's blood," someone argued._

_After a few moments of arguing chatter, the doctor spoke again, "We believe that since the red queen defeated the blue, her blood is stronger. A princess from her bloodline would be invaluable to the project."_

"_Is there one? We have yet to find one and neither has the Red Shield, according to our spy," someone spoke up._

"_The chevalier Hagi is extremely loyal," a voice commented. Kaylee was certain she had heard the voice before. "Dr. Julia claims that he would never betray his queen, so there would be no offspring from him. The other chevalier, Riku, was only a chevalier for a very short time before he mated Diva and died. Their offspring would be our best bet."_

"_The new queens?" the French accented man asked. After a moment he added, "Interesting."_

"_It would be difficult if not impossible to take them," a gruff voice informed. "The Red Shield has operatives guarding the Myagusuku household day and night. Besides, the chevalier, Hagi, has already trained them to fight. The two were tested against their mother's mice and easily defeated them. We would lose too many resources just to attain them."_

"_We can put that idea aside to discuss at a later date- once we have established a large enough army of weaker mice," the French accent spoke._

_There were sounds of agreement._

_The meeting concluded and she heard one last bit information being shared. The doctor's voice spoke again, "Please remember that subject 7 is to be kept sedated. I must emphasize she MUST not awaken, understood?"_

Kaylee shook off the memory as she noticed Kendra's worried look. Renee, a registered nurse reassured, "It will take time for the medication to wear off. In the meantime, we all need to give her some of our blood- taking turns. She should be awake in a few days."

Hagi was once again on the move, an informant had tipped him off to a strange occurance in California. They found a few dead bodies in an alley in L.A., but the information that the police did not release was the fact that the bodies had holes in their necks. Two puncture wounds to be precise. The bodies were shriveled and dehydrated- not a drop of blood left in their systems.

Figuring it was a rogue chiropteran they had missed, Hagi decided to investigate.

The night sky was peaceful and clear. The black velvet of the space between the twinkling stars looked soft enough to touch. The moon was not visible this night- a new moon. It was the perfect night for flying. No one on the earth below him would see the darkly clad man with black velvet wings soaring through the night skies above them.

This was the perfect way to travel. Hagi would take planes from time to time, but the security checkpoints and flight delays were bothersome to a chevalier that was needed to certain locations immediately. Right now was one of those times.

He was nearly to the west side of Texas when his vision hazed with red and he felt a familiar warning sear his blood- a chevalier. The chevalier wondered at the thought, but outwardly his expression remained like stone. He hovered a moment, torn between his mission and his curiosity. He then continued on knowing he could always return to investigate.

When he landed in LA, he was greeted by the informant. The man was small and so slender that one would think a strong breeze would carry him straight to the next state. His grey eyes were always wide, making him appear eternally nervous. He shook Hagi's hand and led him into the small apartment to brief him on the situation.

He tapped the newspaper that was laid out on the table. A photo of two bodies, leaning against one another nearly covered the page. Hagi could see the puncture marks on their necks, even though the photograph was grainy. It was certainly the work of a chiropteran, but he couldn't tell if it was a princess or another of the beasts created by Diva's blood.

The nervous looking contact informed him, "This happened a few days ago, August 20, 2035, but in the time I've waited for you I found out something else…"

The nervous man padded over to his laptop, bringing the machine with him to the kitchen table. "The attacks happened at regular intervals last year- about every two weeks. It was thought that the attacks were the work of a serial killer since the bodies were sliced up so badly. Weird thing is the lack of blood."

Hagi looked at the screen, noticing the pictures of the victims. Deep gouges and slices riddled the bodies that were slumped in various alleys and sidestreets- not a drop of blood on them. What caught Hagi's attention was the fact that they were all males. It took a lot of strength to bring down a full grown man. The men were all propped against walls or dumpsters with their flies undone.

"This is not the work of a chiropteran," he informed the man calmly.

The man raised an eyebrow asking, "How can you be sure?" He turned to find a vacated space where the stoic man once stood.

Hagi bounded through the alleys, catching remnants of the scents and the presence of something more powerful than the mere chiropteran. Another princess had been here- had killed here. She was surviving under the guise of prostitution. Where she was now was becoming abundantly clear.

He took to the air, heading east toward the location where he had last felt the strong presence. He was baffled as to why her presence was so strong- it had the same feel as a chevalier.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6- Evil Incarnate

Bricks and mortar were all that separated him from the object of his intense search. He could smell the cigarette smoke that mingled with another strong smell that would have drug dogs in a frenzy. The darkness hid the transaction well as the huge semi's diesel engine growled in the distance.

The tall driver stood, talking with the shorter Hispanic male that rattled in a slang common for the people in South Texas. They were on the outskirts of Laredo, Texas, a junkyard. Crushed and twisted metal surrounded the transaction.

The stoic man quietly took in the scene, but it wasn't the drugs or the dealer that he was interested in. The woman's vibe was so thick he could almost touch it. It felt like the fiery red-head was somehow connected to him.

The girl looked to be about 16, wearing tight black jeans and a loose fitting black long sleeve button down that was un-tucked and unbuttoned. The white tank top underneath fit tightly around her slender yet curvy form. Her hair was thick and cropped short like a man's, as red as wine. In the light, glints of the same fire that he saw in Saya's eyes came from the girl's hair. Her eyes were brown, but her skin was so pale. She was tall, taller than many women he'd seen. She was nearly as tall as himself.

Even from the distance, he could see her brown eyes gleaming as she nodded her head at the man in understanding. She responded, "Look, Gonzales, I don't know what the deal is. Papa Harlo sent me with this package," she motioned to the package in his hand and continued, "to pick up that load." She pointed to the large pallet where the aroma emanated from.

"No! No! Senorita, Papa Harlo me dijo dis pallet por un million," the man explained.

"Fuck!" The woman threw her hands in the air and then informed, "Fine, then I'll take Papa Harlo his package back and tell him you were unwilling to deal." She reached for the package as she heard the clicking of several guns around her. Her eyes never showed a hint of fear as she glowered down at the man.

"Senorita Maria, por favor…" he began but was interrupted as she snatched the package from his hands and made her way to the truck. As she climbed up to the cab, he finally sighed, "Fine, I'll contact Papa Harlo, but I'll deal. He knows I need to lose this stuff- too many cops sniffing around, you know?"

"Dammit, Gonzales, you lost your accent again," she chastised. Noticing his guilty shrug, she gave a shrewd smile as she climbed back down. Her vibrant red hair swayed in the breeze as she offered a second package. "Papa Harlo says he'll buy all you got- for this."

"Shit," he grumbled as he scratched his chin. "Mary Frances you are one hell of a piece of work, you know that?"

She grinned in mock guilt, "Evil Incarnate, that's me."

The man's slight grin fell as his eyes widened. He was obviously taking the comment seriously. He rubbed his neck and responded, "You really are."

She winked and then climbed up into the cab shouting, "Tell your loser-ass, can't-shoot-the-side-of-a-fucking-barn friends to load the truck. I got a ways to go and I'd like to get there by morning."

He snickered, "You'll never make it to LA by morning- not unless you want the cops to tail you."

"Fuck you, Gonzales," she shouted and gave him a smile- her way of saying goodbye. The men finished loading the sleek semi and stood back, letting the woman drive off. She shouted to them, "See ya later, assholes!"

Hagi silently took to the air, following the semi as it tore through the night. He could hear the heavy metal music blasting from the cab of the 18-wheeler.

The woman in the driver's seat took a sip of the coke in the console and kept her eyes fixed on the highway. Her speedometer read 90 as she barreled down the highway to the next junction that would take her back to LA and her point of origin. She smiled at her shrewd deal. "Papa Harlo is going to blow a fuse when he sees this," she mused.

Her smile widened as the song changed from Metallica's "Enter Sandman" to Linkin Park's "Crawling". The song was her song- all the wounds that she hid inside would have caused a normal person to lose their minds, but not her. She was in control of her life and certain that she could now be happy.

Something was gnawing at her senses though. Something was near her, watching her. She snorted as she chastised herself, "Barreling down the freeway at 90 miles an hour in a semi- I don't think so."

But the feeling remained. When she was talking to Gonzales, she nearly had to rub her eyes as her vision hazed over in a red film and her senses became heightened. But she was not experienced in the sensations, so she had no idea what it meant or how to control it. She shook her head, effectively ridding herself of these thoughts. She felt weird enough as it was, why add to all the weirdness?

Hagi followed the semi until the sun began to rise, at which point he descended to the buildings below him and retracted his wings. He continued bounding from building to building in pursuit of the black semi. In the morning sunlight, the semi gleamed beautifully, obviously new. The loud metallic music was causing his ears to hurt as he wondered which chevalier she belonged to.

The Semi finally stopped in front of another junk yard and she hopped out of the cab. A dark-skinned, dark-haired, heavy set man came to greet her curtly. His head was cleanly shaved, revealing a dark swirling tattoo that etched from under the collar of his t-shirt and up his neck before it swirled on his head. His hands were tattooed as well: P-A-P-A on the left knuckles and H-A-R-L-O on the right.

She spoke with him briefly before he followed her to the back of his truck. A group of men dressed all in black followed him with guns clearly visible in the waistbands of their low-hanging pants.

Though the man barely registered a surprise at the load she had come back with, she noticed his eyebrow arch a bit and the way his mouth curled downward. His expression meant that he was impressed. The man nodded to his followers, signaling them to unload the truck, and began to walk toward his office, followed by the girl.

Once he was certain they were inside the shack he called an office, Hagi made his move quickly, dashing effortlessly into the cab of the semi. He found a small purse in the passenger's seat. The wallet within holding bank card, $200, and a California driver's license with a photo of the young woman he was certain couldn't be more than 16.

The license stated her birth date as August 21, 2017. His brows furrowed for a moment as he calculated her age to be 18 years old. Another license came into view- a very obvious fake. This one stated her age was 21. The name every one of the cards was Mary Frances Reyes.

Hagi placed all the cards on the seat next to one another and pulled out his cell phone. He snapped a photo and looked at the results, making sure that Dr. Julia and Joel VI could see every detail.

His head snapped up as he heard voices coming from the entrance to the office the two had entered earlier. He had what he needed so he gathered the cards and placed them back into the purse neatly before he quickly vanished from the scene.

Hagi was in Arizona when he settled down and sent the information to Julia. She called him back immediately and asked, "Hagi, is this another princess?"

"I believe so," was the clipped response he gave.

"We'll run a check and let you know," she responded. She then asked, "Have you made any progress in Iceland?"

"Lulu and I have narrowed it down to a few miles between two small fishing villages," he informed.

She asked, "Do you recall when the Okamuras returned with the ashes of the mysterious child in Vietnam?" She pulled the pack of cigarettes from her pocket and expertly slid one out, holding it in her hand.

Hagi did not respond, but waited to hear what she had to say.

Taking his silence to be a yes, Julia continued as she closed the pack and returned it to her pocket, "The test results show that the child was about 12 and she was not a princess."

Hagi stood quietly for a moment and wondered at the fact. He had heard the tale of the unusual woman that gave birth to a mysterious baby. The hospital's records stated she was there 15 years at least, but never aged. "How is that possible?" he finally asked.

Julia breathed a heavy sigh and answered, "Maybe she was an original test subject of Delta-67 and the drug never affected her the way they intended." The doctor was silent for a bit. Hagi could feel her frustration in the way she sighed. "Maybe Dr. Richards was right, some sick individual that posed as a hospital worker, made his way in, and impregnated her. She tapped the filter end lightly on the desk.

Hagi had spoken with the doctor on numerous occasions. While he did remain silent most of the time, he had come to find that she was a pleasant distraction from his dismal existence of just waiting for Saya to wake up. He came to regard her as something close to a friend.

David would occasionally come in while he received a transfusion, but there was still a sense of coldness between them. Hagi sensed that David still blamed Saya for his father's death and Hagi was her servant, in charge of her during her rampage in Vietnam.

Hagi answered, "There could be numerous explanations, Julia. Neither of them were princesses, we have to move on."

"Right," the doctor responded, bringing the cigarette to her mouth as she dug for her lighter.

"Julia," he continued, "you should not smoke."

Julia dropped the cigarette in her hand as she looked at the receiver. "How did you…"

"Goodbye, Dr. Julia," he responded and clicked the phone off.

It had been two days that they sat there. Renee was still digging at the small hole she found. It was now big enough to fit her hand through. She could feel the cold air beyond blowing in.

Kendra noticed already that the walls were cold, even though the vents brought heat through every 5 to 10 minutes. Both women had come to the same conclusion a while ago, they were some place cold. Jendra's head rested in her lap as she pulled back the now kinky strands with her hands.

In the two years they had been here, they were never offered any hair or skin products. They were allowed short showers where they were given a bar of soap, a toothbrush, toothpaste, cheap shampoo, and an electric razor should they choose to shave their legs.

It was after a great deal of complaining that they were given conditioner, but the women's hair was growing out longer. In the case of the two women of African-American heritage, they felt their hair was a mess. No relaxers meant the women's hair was kinky-curly at the roots and straight at the ends.

Kendra opted to brush hers into a tight ponytail and braid it all the way to the ends. Her hands worked quickly and expertly, braiding her sister's hair. She wished they'd at least give her some baby oil to help with the dryness. The warm air that came through the vents wasn't doing much to help their already dry skin.

As Kendra turned her sister on her other side to get the other half of her head, Jendra let out a weak groan and slowly sat up. "Wh-where?" She rubbed her eyes and tried to focus as she let out a wide yawn. Her dark eyes finally focused on the room around her before those same eyes turned to another pair of dark eyes. "Kendra."

The younger sister gave a bitter-sweet smile as she pulled her into a hug. "Sissy, you've been out for over 2 years." She whispered into her ear, "The guards don't know we've been discarding the drugged blood they've been giving you. They think you're asleep."

She nodded as the lithe, light-brown haired princess came to her side with a bowl of soup they had given each of them for dinner. Renee smiled and added, "Welcome back. I don't want to say good morning or evening- in this prison, we can't tell the difference." Adding a more positive statement with a slightly sweeter smile, "We saved a bit from each of our bowls for you."

She nodded in gratitude as she took the bowl in her hands. It felt wonderful to have some real nourishment. Jendra drank eagerly, soothing her achingly dry throat.

Kaylee watched the guards intently, even though they were both absorbed in an intense game of cards. The last thing she wanted was to ruin their chances of escape. She was still concerned of what she had overheard the other day.

_The man with the French accent was speaking to the doctor, "There was report of an incident in LA. The chevalier Hagi was spotted as he investigated the incident. It has come to our attention that there is a new princess in that area. Her name is Mary Frances Reyes."_ A shifting of papers alerted her to the knowledge that there was a file._ "The time line for her conception and birth puts her out of range for being the offspring of Diva's chevaliers."_

_The doctor's amazed voice came after a moment of silence, "You mean… Saya's chevalier?"_

"_You will finally be able to test your theory about the red line being infinitely stronger," he responded. She could almost hear the sickening smile in his voice as she heard the distinctive crinkling of a candy being unwrapped._

"_Mr. Argiano," he asked, "should we go after her?"_

"_Take 10 men with you," he responded. "She is much stronger than the others."_

Kaylee stood against the bars of the cell with her arms folded. "Soon there will be another princess joining us," she informed the others.

All eyes turned to the once bubbly blonde. She just stood and watched the guards with a disquieting look on her face. Her eyes were now dull and her cheerful voice was flat. She finalized the comment, "Her name is Mary Frances- they believe she is Hagi's daughter."

Suddenly, the guards jumped to their feet and let the doctor through. He wore an angry scowl as he arrived at the cell. Jendra was now feigning unconsciousness on the floor. The guards opened the cell and grabbed the woman by her hair and lifted her off the ground. The doctor injected a needle into her arm saying, "You thought you were smart, but you didn't think we'd notice the discarded blood?"

The other princesses all jumped on the men, biting and clawing where they could, but none of them had any experience fighting. The group was easily overpowered and roughly thrown to the ground.

Kendra scrambled to the bars as the door was slammed in her bruised face. Her slender, dark arm reached through the bars as she screamed, "JENDRA!"

Tears filled her eyes as she saw her sister begin to lose consciousness once again, but the guards were too late. She slipped into unconsciousness with a smile on her face. Hagi's thoughts echoed through her head. Now he and Lulu had the location of the facility- it was only a matter of time.

Hagi was near the village when he caught up with Lulu. The lumbering grey beast came down upon her with a sharp claw. The sound of a sharp metallic clang filled the air as she came up underneath the beast and brought the axe up against the claw.

Smiling with wide green eyes, she appeared behind the beast and slashed through its back. The loud ripping of the blade through chiropteran flesh echoed across the valley as well as the sound of a child-like battle cry.

The stunned chiropteran roared in pain as Hagi watched the young Schiff spin around faster than any human could see. Her eyes gleamed as her axe blade contacted the neck. With a loud slicing sound, the axe tore clean through. The Schiff landed with the hood of her dark cloak covering her face a few feet away.

The unearthly looking head fell to the ground, pink tongue falling out between the razor sharp white fangs. Blood sprayed like a fountain from the beastly body, before it fell to its knees and then forward, now dead.

Lulu sprang off without a word toward the sound of gunfire. The Red Shield were fighting their way through the chiropterans. Bullets pelted the slow moving creatures before they exploded, leaving a shallow pond of chiropteran bodies, blood, and guts where they had once stood.

Hagi nodded to Lulu and they both went to where the heaviest fighting was taking place. There, standing off against a line of at least 200 of the beasts, was a small band of men. They looked like ordinary deer hunters, but they were well trained at taking on these beasts. The sound of exploding bullets and detonating grenades was deafening.

Hagi jumped into action, into the thick of it. Surrounded by so many that he could barely see light, his hands transformed and razor sharp daggers sang through the air. Finding their marks, a few of the beasts stumbled back and roared in complaint. His expression remained placid as he swung the case on his back, causing a three to be knocked into the air.

Pressing his fingers together, he rammed the claw through the creature in front of him. Not waiting for the death throws, he pulled back and cut through another one. His movements were faster than any human could see, but Lulu watched in awe for a moment.

As he pulled his clawed hand out of his tenth victim, he kicked another one only to see it rise and come after him, enraged. Hagi swung the cello case, bashing the one behind him in the face, literally smashing its face in. He then used the creature's still standing body as leverage.

He leaped up with his hands gripping the shoulders and kicked the heels of his boots into the angry chiropteran's face.

The heel of the boots cut deep c-shapes into the creature's face and snapped its neck.

Lulu blazed in and swiftly brought her axe across its neck.

Hagi nodded his thanks and continued his assault on the remaining ones. After ten minutes, the field looked like hell on earth. Bodies of disfigured, demonic-looking creatures littered the ground for miles.

The eager, young sergeant came up to the pair of chiropterans and commented, "That was some amazing moves. David said you guys were warriors, but I never thought I'd see anything like that."

Lulu perked up, "That's nothing… you should see Saya fight."

Hagi stood silently, his look remained the same. The stoic chevalier reached into his pocket and retrieved a handkerchief. The sergeant watched as the tall, darkly clad man swiped the cloth over his face to remove some of the blood.

Lulu had her hood and cloak to protect her from the blood spatters. She just smiled brightly under her hood.

"Where is the commanding officer?" Hagi asked.

The sergeant turned on his heels and led the two to a small tent. The man was propped up on a cot with his leg bandaged up. Hagi knew from a previous battle that the man had sustained a severe laceration during a very intense battle.

The chevalier wasted no time. He looked down at the colonel and informed him, "I have been able to contact one of the princesses." He pulled the tent flap back a bit more to reveal a beautiful view of the mountains. He pointed at the one closest to them and informed, "The facility is in that mountain."

The colonel gulped and then looked at the chevalier, "How are we going to get in? How far in do we have to go?"

Hagi looked at the man intensely before he replied, "It would be best to fall back for the time being."

He nodded, "I agree. We need to form a plan."

**A/N Sorry if some of you find the scene where Hagi and Dr. Julia are on the phone and it sounds kinda "Silence of the Lambs" creepy- I just couldn't resist!**

**In case you missed it, Argiano and his scientist were discussing the new princess. They have a theory that the red line is stronger than the blue. That is why this princess is so strong. By the way, thanks for all those that are reading, following, and reviewing**

**Jasper 6509- I hope I've answered your questions.**

**Natalie Dumas- Hagi really is still himself, he just has to associate with Kai so he can get close to the twins. Most of the conversations between Kai and Hagi will be extremely one-sided. **

**Thanks for ALL your enthusiasm- it makes a world of difference! Now please review. **


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N I guess I should make a note that I do NOT own Blood Plus, any music mentioned in this story, Ebay, or Craig's List.**

**I'm publishing a little early. Call it an Easter gift! XOXOXO  
**

Chapter 7- A New Business Venture

The man now had thick streaks of grey threaded through his blonde hair. The lines on his face were more heavily etched into the corners of his mouth and eyes, as well as between his eyebrows. He now wore glasses to see almost anything, but all the operatives knew the man was to be admired. David had been a member of the Red Shield for quite a long time and had fought side by side with their greatest weapon, asset, and ally- an ageless girl named Saya.

He walked through the entryway where two armed guards stood stiffly at attention. He saluted them and walked into the meeting place.

The generals and colonels had been at odds about what was to be done for more than a week, getting them nowhere. The prominent group suggested that the mountain should be blown up and then they'd salvage what they could later.

The second group suggested that they find a way to draw the chiropterans from the mountain in order to sneak a few highly skilled operatives into the facility to scope it out and plan their next move.

David agreed to the second idea and began plans to sneak Lulu into the facility. She was small and completely comfortable sneaking around in the shadows. The rest agreed that would be the safest and less costly form of action. It would also spare the lives of the princesses. All agreed upon the idea.

Unnoticed by David, in the shadows, someone had been eavesdropping on the situation. Miles Hunter was Julia's intern 14 years ago, but had decided to join the Red Shield as an operative instead. It was her glowing recommendation that had gotten the man the position he wanted.

Joel VI was happy to place Miles as an operative. The boy was bright and a quick study, but David had his suspicions about him. He got that same feeling he had around Dr. Collins 30 years ago- he smelled a rat.

Once the meeting had dispersed, the wiry, auburn haired man straightened and began to casually walk toward the surveillance room. The emergency exit lay just beyond. A strong hand grasped the younger man's shoulder and turned him to face none other than David himself.

A scowl etched the now 60-year-old face as he asked, "Are you lost, Hunter? By now you should know the layout of this facility. Your sector is down the _opposite_ hall and to the left."

Miles smiled sheepishly and answered, "Mr. David sir, no sir, the restrooms are near the end of the hall."

David nodded to give permission as the younger man made his way down the hall to his destination. The scowl still held as he felt there was still something that was bothering him about that operative.

Once Miles was in the restroom, he checked the stalls. Once he felt certain he was alone, he went into one stall and closed the door. _"It was so simple to slip past these fools,"_ he thought as he slipped his cell phone out of his pocket. He typed out his message quickly.

_The Red Shield will be attacking the facility again in two weeks. This time, the attacks will utilize all the members they possibly can. The attack is a ruse. The Schiff Lulu will infiltrate the facility during the attack to obtain intel on the facility and possibly free the princesses._

_No new info on Reyes. Will advise when info becomes available. Hagi is watching her and will soon approach her. She will then be in the hands of the Red Shield._

The sound of the door to the restrooms opening caused him to look up. The way the brown loafers clicked in pattern with the gate of the man told Miles that the newest occupant was David. He quickly pressed send as he flushed the toilet. With a sneaky smile, he placed his phone in his pocket before exiting the stall. He headed to the sink.

David simply stood there and watched the younger man through narrowed eyes. Hunter simply washed his hands and dried them with a paper towel. As he exited the restroom, David informed him in a low voice, "I'm watching you."

So far, none of the operatives could track these calls he was making. Disposable cell phones could not be tracked and made it nearly impossible to trace the calls. It was especially true in these times.

Prepaid cell phones were difficult to track more than 10 years ago, but with all the terrorist attacks, many countries began using technology to spy on their own people. They were simply trying to find the terrorist cells and anticipate their next moves. But the terrorists outsmarted them by creating anti-spy equipment. Then, to spite the governments that were against them, they began to flood the market with these devices- making them available to anyone.

David shook his head as he walked out of the restroom. He had no option but to watch the man and hope he slipped up.

~0~

Hagi crouched on the building watching the scene below. He had been following Reyes for more than a week now. Blue-grey eyes scanned the expanse of the impound yard to find his query. The impound yard was on the back of an auto repair shop owned by a 58-year-old blind man by the name of Calvin Green. He was a friend of Mary Frances' mother, Mary Reyes.

25 years ago, Mary Reyes was a prostitute for a pimp named Orlando Connel, aka. Shady. Shady was believed to have fathered Mary Frances, but it could have been any one of her johns, too.

When Mary Frances was born in 2017, Mary decided it was time to straighten her life out. It was a difficult choice and she had to have the assistance of the police when it came to leaving Shady.

In 2025, Mary Reyes felt it was her calling to begin a shelter for women like her. She rescued, rehabilitated, and helped educate these women she rescued. Many of them were now functioning members of society with families of their own.

The Center- as it was called, ran smoothly for 9 years before Mary Reyes was diagnosed with AIDS. Within the next year, she had trained her daughter to take over The Center.

Unfortunately, Mary died in that same year. Mary Frances took over the center, but this year, allowed the city to take it over and became a truck driver. It seemed odd to those in the city. They all knew that the daughter had the same passion as the mother and everyone was scratching their heads as to why Mary Frances just suddenly walked away from her mother's dream.

Mary Frances walked patiently at the side of the shorter, dark skinned man with black lensed glasses. She deftly guided him around the bumpers and tail pipes of the dusty cars that filled the lot. He employed 20 tow trucks and 16 lot attendants. The front of the property was where he made his money- his auto repair shop.

"Girlie," the blind man scolded in a coarse voice, "haven't I told you a million times not to get mixed up with that junk yard scum, Harlo?"

Mary Frances gave an exasperated sigh, "Daddy Green, look," she ran a hand through her short hair, "you've been like a dad to me. I know you're worried but I got this."

He stopped walking and responded, "You are so much better than this. Smuggling will get you into more trouble than your momma ever was, Girlie. Transporting that amount of drugs will get you locked up for more years than you can imagine. Sure the money _sounds_ good, but it ain't worth it."

She looked at her feet, contrite, "I know." She then pleaded, "But it was just this once."

He raised an eyebrow, "Oh?" He then added with more emphasis, "What about the last time… and the time before that?" When he waited a minute and she gave no answer, he knew he'd made his point. Now it was time to go in for the kill. "I _built_ that truck for you. I wanted you to use it to start a business- something for yourself! I didn't think you'd do something as low as smuggling narcotics!"

Now she took a deep breath to control her own anger. It took her a moment to respond, "It pays what I need. I don't want to move furniture or work for some fuck-off company that pays their drivers way too little. I like smuggling. I get big money and I can tell assholes to fuck off whenever they piss me off."

She kicked the dirt and growled before she brought her temper down. Rolling her eyes, she breathed, "But for you, I'll try."

He squeezed her arm in reassurance, "It's not as bad as you think. You'll love traveling and seeing the US. The money's good when you have your own truck and can take on clients. Just give it a chance."

She nodded and thought about it. Finally she answered, "Alright, Daddy Green."

He pulled her into a hug and roughly patted her back. When he pulled back, he thought out loud, "You're growing like a damn weed, Girlie! Your momma was only 5'7" and I know Shady was as tall as me, but you're more than 6 foot now!"

She laughed slowly as she responded, "I guess that means Shady's not my dead beat dad after all."

He scratched his head before he commented, "Well, your momma wasn't exactly with just one man, so it could be anyone in the city."

"That's okay," she said with a hint of mischief, "you're more of a daddy to me than anyone else was."

He turned to face her and responded, "You better believe it, Girlie." He then growled, "And if you don't straighten up and fly right soon, I'm gonna take you over my knee and beat the living shit out of you!"

"Alright, Daddy Green," she acquiesced as she raised her hands in surrender. "You don't need to threaten me, I'll be good."

They both turned back to the shop and she guided him once again.

~0~

The place was noisy with all the repairs going on. A client had totaled his car, but decided he would rather pay the costs to fix his vehicle. The red mustang was gradually coming together again. The hood was straightened and the engine, radiator, and fan were replaced. They were still waiting for a few parts, but the talented Gary was on the job. He was a master at reshaping the metal parts of the car, but the fiberglass and plastic parts would need to be replaced.

When Gary caught sight of Green, he hurriedly extinguished the flame on his torch before he came to his side. "Mr. Green," he began, "that mustang in the yard- no one's claimed it in 3 years. Could we strip the parts we need from it and then paint the car?"

Green rubbed his chin as he thought about it. It was something they did often since there were so many abandoned cars in the lot. They'd strip cars that were not running in order to do repairs at a lower cost. He was often approached with the idea of selling the working parts of those cars to those that needed them, just to get some use from them.

He nodded and Gary went back to work.

Mary Frances stood quietly for a moment before her eyes widened, "Daddy Green, why don't you sell the parts of those abandoned cars? It would be a great income… and it would get rid of the useless cars. I could deliver them to the buyers! That would make money for you and for me!"

"I don't know, Girlie," he answered. "With the lot and the shop… on top of that, I sell the abandoned cars that still run. I don't think I could handle adding a used parts business with all that, too."

"I'll run it!" she demanded excitedly. "I'll advertise on Craig's List and Ebay. I'll even pull the parts myself!"

He huffed, "That's a lot of work, Girlie. You sure you're up for it?"

"HELL YES!" she nearly shouted.

He chuckled, "Then why are you still standing here with an old blind man? Go start your business."

She dashed off excitedly, but her eyes widened in realization before she stopped mid leap. The young woman regarded the old mad pulling out his black expandable cane with a sneaky grin. "W-wait… wait," she mumbled as she came back to his side, cautiously. The excitement in her eyes slowly became joyful and adventurous. "Did you just say… you said… my business?" she asked slowly.

He chuckled and nodded, "Yes, Girlie, I said _'your _business'."

The tall, slender creature leapt into the air and came down on one knee, pumping her fist and shouting, "YES! YES! YEEEESSSSSS!" Green chuckled as he listened to the celebratory display. She dashed into the shop to the computer in the office.

~0~

She was excitedly bent over, typing on the office computer as a young man came in. She was too excited to sit, so she instead chose to bend over and type as she shifted her feet happily.

He was in blue coveralls that had black smears all over and a few of those same streaks were fading on his face. His hair was normally blonde and very short, but it was streaked with used motor oil and his eyes flashed a bright green. Once he washed off the filth of a hard day's work, he would reveal his tan complexion and muscular body.

Two strong arms wrapped around the woman, causing her to scowl before she groaned, "Remove your hands before I remove them for you, Jack."

He feigned innocence as he grabbed her hips and pressed himself against her seductively. "What? Can't I enjoy a little visit from you?"

She huffed as she continued to type, ignoring him.

"You know, in this position…" he murmured before he bent himself against her, bringing his mouth to her ear. "This reminds me of last night."

She rolled her eyes and responded, "Yes, last night was good, but I'm done fucking now. I don't need you anymore. Go back to work, Jack."

He stilled. "Hey, I thought you enjoyed it."

She pushed him back and whirled around to face him. She spoke in a low voice, "Last night was a release of tension. I've told you this before- I'm not looking for a relationship." She raised an eyebrow and purred, "I'm looking for a bitch."

He was backed against the wall as she pressed a finger to his chest. "If I want to repeat last night, I'll call you. If I want romance and love- it's not you."

He smiled and asked, "Don't you want a relationship? I know you're really pretty and I thought women wanted men to commit to them."

"I told you, bitch, I don't do commitment and I certainly don't do love. I only take what I fucking want and leave the rest to take care of itself," she growled. "If you have issues with love, get rid of them. If you can't do that, I'll find someone that can."

"Okay… fine," he placated, but the feeling didn't reach his eyes. Deciding to change the subject, he asked, "So, what's Old Man Green got you working on?"

"Nothing," she answered as she turned back to the computer screen.

He scowled and grunted, "That's not what it looks like to me." He leaned in and noticed she was on Ebay. She was typing the description of the parts on the broke down mustang that were not used in the repairs of their customer's mustang. He murmured, "Ah, so he finally agreed to sell those used parts."

She jabbed her elbow into his ribs and grumbled, "Not that it's any of your damn business, but he gave me permission to sell the parts under _my_ name."

He looked at her incredulously. Shaking his head, he leaned over to look at the screen again. "So, you're selling stripped cars," he snorted. "It's so you to do something illegal."

She rose and glared at him. "You really think Green would let me run a chop shop from his place?"

He could feel her anger simmering up and raised his hands in surrender, "It was a joke, MF. You know? Just a joke." He smiled, trying to defuse the situation.

"Grinning like a fucking idiot," she mumbled and turned back to the screen. She began typing again and thought about an answer for the moron behind her. Deciding to let it go, she shook her head. Jack was an idiot, but he was great in bed. As she finished typing the description of the transmission on 2017 Buick, she thought about last night with a smirk on her face.

Hagi watched from outside the window. There was an ancient conversion van parked behind him, blocking the window from the view of the lot attendants. Following this princess was far more difficult than the previous ones.

He recently noticed that she could sense his presence. If he followed her too closely, she would rub her eyes and look in his general direction. Sometimes he would hear her thoughts, too. He wondered what it was that seemed to be causing such a strong connection.

It was true that many of the Red Shield members and even Hibiki thought that she was his daughter, but he read the biography on this girl. She was born in LA August 21, 2017. It was true that he was in the area for a brief time in 2016, but he didn't remember ever meeting a Mary Reyes. When he was shone a photo of the woman, he didn't recognize her. He even found it strange that her daughter looked very little like her.

He spent a couple of his nights wondering around LA and the area where Mary Reyes was a prostitute. None of it rang any bells in his mind. It was just a coincidence that she looked like him.

Maybe it was another of Amshel's experiments. She could be his child, but her body was so much slimmer, her hair was red, and her eyes were brown. Looking at her as she flirted with the filthy mechanic behind her nearly made him shake his head in disgust. The way this generation seemed to regard sexuality was just immoral to him.

Turning to survey his surroundings, he realized no one could see him. He leapt on top of the roof of the shop soundlessly before he vanished with a gust of wind. It was time to inform Julia and Joel what was going on. He also wanted to check on the plans for the strike on the facility in Iceland. He would return in afterward to speak with the last princess.

~0~

Kaylee looked out at the sun and sighed. How she wished to feel the rays color her skin again. It was the only time the princesses were able to feel free and happy. She was in the infirmary receiving a transfusion. The window above the bed had bars obstructing the view, but it was no less welcome to the angelic blonde.

Her eyes once had a gleam of hope and mischief, but now they were dull and sad. "Freedom is a powerful thing. You don't really know how blessed you are to have it until it's gone," she murmured out loud to no one. The blood was replenishing her veins, but what would replenish her soul?

The scientists were excitedly communicating about the coming of the newest princess- possibly the most powerful of all of them. This was the only offspring of the red line. How they knew this for certain, she did not know. Maybe they were merely speculating.

Her brow furrowed as she thought of the chevalier that these men believed was the father. Sure, he was a really handsome man, but that personality… Her first encounter with Hagi was definitely unforgettable.

_It had been a long time ago that her home was filled with the happy laughter of children. Her children lived nearby and brought their kids by, but that was long ago. Her husband died 40 years ago. Her grandchildren had their own kids and had moved on, rarely visiting. Most of her time was spent volunteering and just working. She was on her way to the library when she ran into someone that most assuredly, was unique._

_He was quite tall with skin nearly as white as the shirt collar that peeped over his charcoal grey jacket. His midnight black hair was curly and pulled together in the back of his head in a blue ribbon. He carried a massive case on his back that made her gulp- a coffin._

_The long coat-tails ended just past his knees and his right hand was bandaged in a worn out white strip of cloth. He looked like someone on their way to a costume party._

_When he spoke, his deep voice was soothing, but so monotonous. His expression never changed- he almost looked bored. _

She smiled to herself as she wondered, _"What kind of woman would want to spend more than 5 minutes with that personality?"_

Maybe he was different with other women- with his queen. Maybe he was just shy around some people.

Jendra had confided with her sister and Kaylee that she could sometimes sense the chevalier's thoughts when he was nearby. One thing that seemed to stand out was the name Saya and the feeling of a powerful feeling that his heart was completely hers. The man was completely head-over-heels in love with his queen!

She thought out loud, "Whoever this princess is, she can't be his. He doesn't seem like the type to do that." Pressing her head into the pillow, she sighed. "Hagi, wherever you are, please get here soon. I don't want to be here if they find this is your daughter."


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N Just to clear things up for those who feel confused by the character Mary Frances and the baby from Vietnam that became the orphan girl dubbed "Snow White". In Chapter 5 Okamura and Mao tracked "Snow White" to an orphanage by the sea. By then, she had been found dead. Mary Frances was born and raised in LA by her mother Mary Reyes. I hope that has cleared some of the confusion. I know that my mind tends to go a million miles a minute and I forget to explain the little details- sorry about that. **

_**Chapter 8- Everyone Makes Mistakes**_

"Oops!" an apologetic voice carried from the kitchen after a loud crash was heard. Kai was speaking to an upset customer in the dining area as a young, blue-eyed girl with blue-streaked black hair came up beside the 40-year-old man and handed the customer a towel.

Kai's hair was now more auburn than red, streaked with lines of grey. His brown eyes turned toward the kitchen as he groaned.

Hibiki murmured under her breath, "Aiko strikes again."

The new waitress was causing more chaos than a tornado. As if she had heard her name being said, the dark-haired, sixteen-year-old popped her head out of the kitchen. Her chubby cheeks were red with embarrassment as a small raven haired beauty brushed past her hurriedly. Her hair brushed her waist as she placed several items in front of the angry customer gracefully. "Again, sir, I apologize for our new employee. We hope that you will still enjoy your dinner- courtesy of Omoro," she said sweetly as she offered one of her face-splitting grins.

Kai smiled at the memory Kanade's smile evoked. She looked exactly like his sister. As Kai turned his adopted daughters from the now appeased customer, he praised, "Thanks for saving the day, girls."

Hibiki was taking an order from table 12. Her eyes slid to him briefly as she muttered absently, "You're welcome, Kai."

He stopped and placed his hands on his hips, giving her a glare. His white apron had stains from all kinds of different things, mostly grease. Kanade shook her head as her eyes grew wide. She mentally scolded her sister, "Really Hibiki?"

For the first time in a long while, Hibiki turned and blushed. She stammered, "I- I'm sorry, Dad."

He simply shook his head as the group headed to the kitchen. There was a lot to do and they all had to pick up the slack.

One look in the kitchen and Kai groaned as both girls stood with their jaws slack. The fryer was on the floor and the new waitress was trying to mop up the mess. It was obvious George had left to get the cleaning supplies.

He returned with an armful of stuff and scolded the plump waitress, "I told you to leave that alone. You're making it worse!"

She looked up at him like she didn't understand what was being said. Kai shook his head and came to the pair. As he was speaking to the young girl, Hibiki looked out the door to the dining area. She noticed the tall man with an instrument case strapped to his back as he placed the case down next to the table and had a seat. "Uncle Hagi's back," she whispered as she nudged Kanade.

The long haired sister turned her red-brown orbs to the table and gave a wide grin. She whispered, "I wonder if he's talked to Julia yet?"

Hibiki frowned as she made her feelings known through the low growl in her throat, "He has two years to come up with a good excuse. Whatever Aunt Saya doesn't rip apart, I'll get the rest."

Kanade elbowed her sister and hissed, "You can't prove the new princess is his."

"Come on Kanade, she was born in 2017. She freakin' looks like him, too," the bolder sister said.

Kanade's pink pout formed a thin line as she pondered on the thought. She then pushed past her sister and into the dining area. She walked up to the stoic man and watched as he came to his feet.

His steel-blue eyes regarded the younger red queen. It was completely strange to this man that the young woman was so drawn to him. He curled a long arm around her as she squeezed him in a tight embrace.

Hibiki glared at him, practically steaming with anger. There was no other explanation: he was the youngest princess' father. Hibiki and Kanade were there when David showed the photo of the vibrant red-head to Kai. Hagi was still trying to locate the facility with Lulu and the Red Shield's elite hunters.

Kai came to Hibiki's side and recalled the photo he had seen.

The girl's short hair seemed to nearly spike out the way his had when he was younger. Her eyes were clearly a brown color and her face was more feminine than Hagi's, but her lips were thin like his and her ears were heavily pierced with various silver studs and small hoops. She was tall and slender like him and her skin was very pale. She seemed almost bored as she looked into the camera. Her mouth formed the same line as Hagi's. He wished he could have seen her close up, but he was certain she had the same nose and ears as the man that was hugging Kanade. She certainly had the same eyebrows, chin, and those high cheekbones.

"He's the only one that makes sense," Hibiki muttered. When her adopted father nodded quietly she continued, "Mom's chevaliers died with her or before her in 2007. The girl was born in 2017. I know chiropteran's gestation period is long, but it's not 10 _years_ long."

Kai nodded again as he crossed his arms over his chest. It was a moment before he spoke. "He is still family. Maybe he did mess up…" He noticed Hibiki's upset expression. "Okay, he _really _messed up, but that's no reason to condemn the man."

Hibiki scoffed and then turned away.

Kai's jaw tensed as he looked at Kanade smiling and talking to the stoic chevalier. Hagi suddenly looked away and his normal expression seemed to look even more somber than usual. "He may be a chevalier, but he's still a man underneath it all. We all make mistakes, Hibiki," he explained before he moved to the small reunion going on at table 17.

When Omoro was finally closed and cleaned up for the night, the group sat in the living room. Hagi sat in a chair across from Kai, Hibiki, and George who were seated on the sofa. Kanade was on the other side of the smaller sofa as Hagi explained, "The facility is in Iceland under a large mountain. We have sent spies to see how we can infiltrate the places where the princesses are held. The chiropteran numbers are growing every day. We will have to act soon."

Kai looked at the map on the small table and considered what could be done. He then asked, "I thought you and Lulu could easily make your way through."

"Even though they are weaker than us, there are so many that we will end up fighting to the point of exhaustion before we even get to the where the mountain is located. We are going to need reinforcements and a plan," Hagi answered.

"A map of the facility couldn't hurt either," Hibiki grumbled.

Hagi nodded and then he took a breath before he mentioned, "There is a new princess."

The room went silent. No one ever expected him to say anything.

"We know," Kai informed as he eyed the chevalier critically.

Hagi simply ignored the look before he informed, "She is in Los Angeles, but travels to many other places as a truck driver. I am certain she is lying about her age."

"Julia informed us about her," Kanade responded carefully.

"So, Uncle Hagi," Hibiki chimed in rather bitterly, "who's her mother?"

The stoic man regarded the young queen that had blue streaks in her hair. Hagi blinked in wonder at the comment. How on earth should he know who the mother of this princess was? He saw Kai whack her arm and give her a scolding look before he turned back to Hagi and motioned for the chevalier to continue.

"I do not believe Fimm Örvar hasn't discovered this princess yet," he added. "Joel wishes for me to contact her at her home. I will be leaving next week. Afterward, I will return to Iceland to assist the general in the next battle."

Kai became interested in the fight and asked, "Do you think they will be able to make it through all those chiropterans this time?"

Hagi stared for a moment. There were so many and with the number of princesses they had, it gave them an unlimited blood supply to create more. In the 6 months they had been fighting, they seemed to be taking two steps forward and one step back. They simply had to do get to that facility and shut it down. He finally answered, "I cannot be sure."

Hibiki looked at Kai seriously, "Dad, for heaven's sake! They're fighting a losing battle. You have to let us help now."

Kai groaned and shook his head. "I promised Saya that you two would never go through the battles and trauma that she and Hagi faced. I can't let you fight."

Kanade sat quietly and watched the scene unfold. She was the athletic sister, that was certain, but she was also a pacifist. The last thing she wanted to do was fight. All those stories of her aunt shedding the blood of enemies as well as innocents… it was too frightening. Her sister's eyes would start glowing and her body responded. Her fists would clench and her blood would start boiling beneath the skin. What would happen if she truly let go to her chiropteran side? She'd be a monster.

Hibiki was not nearly as athletic, but she made up for it with her personality. She embraced her chiropteran nature and frequently enjoyed discovering her hidden abilities. There was a man that taught her many things. She sensed he was a chevalier, but definitely not her mother's. The blonde-haired man with the pink tights and cowboy boots had even taught her how to change forms.

Hibiki rose from the sofa and headed toward her room.

"Just where do you think you're going?" Kai ground out.

She turned to her adoptive father and answered snidely, "I'm going to help them get into that facility."

Kai scoffed as he rose and came to stand in front of the girl, glaring in her eyes. "You aren't going anywhere, Hibiki. I told you no."

She shifted her weight and glared at him, "I'm 28 and I can go wherever I want."

Kai shook his head slowly, "Joel has explained that you are not mature until your first hibernation- more than 20 years away. You are not going anywhere."

Hagi stood and spoke, "Your father is right, it would give no advantage to have you or Kanade in this battle. If you are captured, they will be able to create chiropterans using your blood. The only one that could give us any hope in that situation is your sister."

Their eyes came to Kanade as she looked at the floor sheepishly.

Hibiki stared for a moment and realized Hagi and Kai were right. But if Kanade was more of a fighter, they'd willingly take them. Once again, Kanade ruins the day. "Stupid pacifist," she muttered as she stormed up the stairs.

Kai groaned as he returned to the couch. Hagi hefted his cello case onto his shoulder as Kai and Kanade watched. "Leaving already?" Kai asked.

"I must speak with Julia. Thank you for your hospitality," Hagi responded.

Kai waved a hand dismissively as he escorted the chevalier to the door. When they came to the door, Kai finally spoke in a hushed tone, "Hagi, I don't know what happened, but I can guess. Saya's gonna be so pissed when she wakes up."

Hagi stood quietly and waited for Kai to explain.

The aging man ran a hand through his spiky hair and grumbled, "Dammit, Hagi, don't you get it? There's only one explanation for the new princess. I want to know how you're going to explain this to Saya."

Hagi simply looked at Kai for a moment before he finally spoke, "I have nothing to do with the existence of this princess."

"Hagi, it's impossible for her to belong to anyone else. Diva's chevaliers are dead. She was born in 2017- ten years after they all died. You're the only surviving chevalier. There's no other explanation."

The stoic man couldn't answer. He knew how it looked. It must be a mistake- there must be another explanation. He could never betray Saya, he had loved her and only her since before he was turned. She was his first and only love. But what did Kai know? He was just a mortal and had only lived a sliver of the lifetime Hagi had existed.

Hagi finally decided to speak as he turned toward the road, "You claim that you know me. If you truly do, then you would know that I would never betray Saya."

The wind picked up and the chevalier was gone.

Kai turned and went into the pub. He had changed nothing from the way it had looked when his father ran the place. The photos on the bulletin board were still there, but a few more of Kai, his chiropteran daughters, and two sons were up there. A black and white picture of Hagi and Saya was pinned up there as well.

Looking down at his feet, Kai's jaw tensed and he grumbled, "Everyone makes mistakes, even chiropterans, Hagi."

~0~

It had been six months since she retrieved the shipment for Papa Harlo. Daddy Green had scolded her to no end about it. How many times had he told her that she could make a decent living as a long-haul driver, but she felt she needed more.

Now that she was selling used parts from the lot, she stopped smuggling. Papa Harlo wasn't happy about it, but she wasn't too worried. She knew he couldn't hurt her.

She ran a hand through her spiky, freshly dyed, burgundy hair and glanced in the mirror. Her skin was so pale, reminding her that she needed nourishment. Her mind tumbled over the list of things that needed to be done. For one, she needed to have her slightly floppy hair cut, next would be a quick grocery trip, afternoon would be spent looking for a car she could use while she was in town, and finally, she was having dinner with her neighbor, Mrs. Vincek.

The young woman glided the dark red lipstick over her lips before she shouldered her small black bag and headed out the door. As she locked the door, the corner of her vision shifted and she noticed the small, slight woman with the high cheekbones and squared jaw.

Mrs. Vincek was a stern looking woman with long grey hair pulled into a braid that came to her hips. The elder woman leaned into the shared balcony rail on her elbows without regarding the young woman even once as she stared critically at the rising sun.

The young woman came to the stairs when a heavily accented voice startled her. "Early morning, Mary Frances?" the elder woman asked without glancing at her even once.

"Yes, Mrs. Vincek," the fiery haired young woman answered as she continued her descent to the first floor. She called back to the seemingly oblivious woman, "See you at 6:30."

"Don't be late," the woman demanded.

Thankfully, her hairdresser was located in the shopping strip just on the other side of the apartment complex.

As she walked through the complex, she could feel the hair on the back of her neck stand up as goose bumps popped up on her arms and legs. The color red, like blood, clouded her vision. "What the fuck?" she muttered as she rubbed her eyes. When her vision cleared, she continued at a fast pace to the salon.

The dark figure knew he would be seen in daylight, so he opted to hide behind a broad tree fifteen feet from where she passed hurriedly. He had been watching the girl for the past 6 months on and off between fighting. Her days off were spent doing laundry, cleaning house, and buying groceries.

The girl, Mary Frances, walked through the doors of the salon. The stylists greeted her warmly as she moved to take a seat. It was a busy day and all the stylists were working on the respective customers.

The woman with a white top and black slacks informed Mary Frances, "We're a bit busy right now. It'll be about an hour. Want me to schedule you?"

She ran a hand through her hair and thought a minute. "I have to get a few things and I guess I can head to the park across the way for a quick run," she thought. It would give her something to do to pass the time as she waited anyway. She nodded and told the stylist, "Yeah, put me down for 11am, I have an errand to run and then I'm going for a jog."

She went by the corner store and picked up a few things she needed before she headed back to her apartment to change into something more suitable for the park.

~0~

The rustle of the trees was the only thing that could possibly give away his presence. The stoic chevalier watched as his prey rounded another lap on the track. It was true that he had seen her driver's license, but he refused to believe her appearance until she was up close and he could examine her face himself.

It was a brisk autumn day and the woman donned a grey hoodie with matching sweatpants. Her fiery red hair was under the hood which also shielded her face from his vantage in the trees. The tall woman slowed her pace to a jog as she rounded the next corner and began to shadow box.

He was completely still, giving nothing of his thoughts away by the lack of expression on his face. Without any preamble, he leapt gracefully to the ground behind her. "Mary Frances Reyes," he clearly stated, causing the young woman to turn abruptly to face him, her hood falling back to reveal her face.

Hagi couldn't speak. It was one thing to look at a picture ID and an entirely different thing to look upon the real thing. Her hair was thick and ended in a wide curl, like the ends of his own. Her brows arched elegantly and were vibrant red, like her hair color. He could smell the strong scent of ammonia that emanated from the burgundy tresses, proving it was freshly dyed.

Her nose was long and pointed up at the end, but narrow. Under it, her lips pursed with an unasked question that couldn't seem to come. She was a few inches shorter than him and her body was lean and strong.

It was like looking in a mirror! "_Who the hell is this guy?" _she wondered as her brow furrowed. She scolded herself for showing him any kind of curiosity- who knows who this guy could be? _"Why the fuck do you look like me?" _she wanted to ask, but she held her tongue as she folded her arms over her chest. She finally asked a question, "How do you know my name and what the hell do you want?"

Hagi's eyes widened slightly at the rudeness of the young woman. Never before had he met a princess that would swear in his face. Even the outspoken Amy would never have been as rude as this one. A moment passed before he continued, "I am sure you have questions about what you are."

Before he could continue, the girl lifted a hand and laughed. He raised a brow.

As he began to speak, she noticed his outdated and much too formal attire. She laughed as she realized this man must be some kind of minister or preacher out to save lost souls. It was funny this man had run across a woman that calls herself Evil Incarnate.

"Hold up! Hold up!" she laughed before informing him, "I am the_ last_ person you want to talk to about this. My soul is not lost, it's having a blast and I do _not_ need some religion or holy water or whatever it is you're trying to sell me." With that, she turned and began her jog again.

He stood there blinking. "_What was she talking about?" _he wondered before he leapt into the air, coming down in front of her as easily as a grasshopper from one blade of grass to the next.

Her eyes opened wide as she looked at him and then looked behind her to where he had been standing. When she looked back again, her mouth was opening and closing like a fish on dry land. "How the… What the hell?" she gasped before she found her train of thought. "How the hell did you do that?"

"It is an ability of our kind," he responded simply.

She was stunned momentarily. "_Our_ kind?" she asked as she looked him up and down. "What exactly _is_ our kind? Who are you?"


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N Sorry it took so long, but here's the REAL Chapter 9! Enjoy and please leave a review.**

Chapter 9- Through the Looking Glass

Hagi motioned for her to join him on a nearby bench. She watched the graceful mannerisms of the stranger with wary eyes. Her arms folded over her chest and she responded, "Like hell if I'm gonna get all cozy with some strange man that can jump over me like I was nothing more than a rock in the path."

If there was ever a moment that could cause Hagi to want to roll his eyes, this would be it. She was rude and not even willing to hear him out, but he persisted as he remained standing near the bench. "In order to understand what you are, you must first learn of the species known as Chiropteran."

Her face remained passive and he briefly wondered if that was how he looked most times. Mentally shaking the thought, Hagi continued, "The species began with two sisters. One was Saya and the other Diva. They look like normal teenage girls, but they are indeed something very different. They do not age and when they are injured, the wounds heal quickly, sometimes instantaneously."

She wondered at the information this man was presenting to her as she shook off the feeling that she could sense his inner thoughts. Before he spoke again, she heard the thought, "I must be cautious as I attempt to tell her everything. She will never believe anything I say if I can't convince her. She has not lived nearly as long as the others and has not even realized that she has stopped aging."

He took a breath and continued, "The blood of these two girls have a special and deadly power. It can make a man immortal like them, but it also kills the other or any of her servants. I am a servant of the one known as Saya. She gave me her blood and that is why I still live in spite of being born in 1861."

Her eyes shot open wide and it took her a moment to regain her composure. "No shit? You're really nearing 200 years old!" She then laughed out loud and responded, "Damn, you're the funniest, most creative _crazy person_ I've ever met!" With that, she took off running again, trying to keep from laughing. She started as he landed in front of her once again. She gave him a freezing look of annoyance and growled, "Will you quit fucking doing that?"

He grasped her shoulders as he could sense that their time was running short. "There's not much time. Listen to me. There are people that want to take you. You need to hear me out and then, I will give you 24 hours to think this through. After that time, you will have to make a decision."

She gulped and nodded. What was his problem anyways? He was so adamant about her coming with him and she didn't even know who he was or where they would be going.

He continued on, "Diva had servants as well. We are called chevaliers. Her chevaliers spent their leisure time among human women, not realizing they could breed with them. The queens could not breed with human men and so the chevaliers thought that applied to them as well, but it didn't turn out that way." He looked at her and tried to see just how much she understood.

She thought quietly as she sat down on a nearby fence. She tried to hide it, but he could sense the tears coming to her eyes. There was a terrible sense of a bitter "Ah-ha moment" that she had guarded up in her mind. She took a breath, extinguishing the tears and responded, "So… which one of the dead-beat winners created me?"

He wondered at her for a moment. At first, he was certain he wasn't getting through to her. It surprised him that she was willing to listen, even a little. Taking a deep breath, he wondered further if she was thinking the same thing the Red Shied thought. His answer was, "I do not know for certain. Dr. Julia with the Red Shield will be able to tell you for certain. All she needs is a bit of your cells. She uses a cotton swab…"

She interrupted, "I know how the process works. I've seen the talk shows 'Who's your Daddy' and all that shit."

He nodded and looked down pensively, causing her to wonder at the suddenly thoughtful looking man. She regarded his sharp, pointing nose and the firm and familiar looking jawline. His eyes and the way his hair fell in waves around his face- hadn't she seen this same face staring back at her from her own mirror every day? She took a breath and bravely asked, "Why is it impossible to include yourself in the list of possible dead-beat dads?"

He looked at her with narrowed eyes and responded in a low voice, "I would never betray Saya."

After a long, uncomfortable pause, she thought out loud, "Wait a minute! Those monsters that have been spotted a long time ago- was that?"

He nodded, "Those monsters were created by Diva's blood. That was why the Red Shield was formed, they assist Saya and I in eliminating the chiropterans."

Her eyes narrowed as she wondered at this group called the Red Shield. It sounded like some kind of FBI-like organization. Was this guy some kind of narc (slang for narcotics police officer)? She gulped and added, "So you guys are not some kind of law-enforcement, right?"

He looked up at the clear skies and responded, "I suppose, in a way, we are."

Her look suddenly darkened as she began to back away. "Okay," she nearly growled, "that was a dirty trick. What? You think telling this ridiculous story is going to make me somehow open up and spill my guts?" She whirled around and began to take off.

"Wait!" he demanded as he followed her. When his hand grasped her shoulder, she gripped his hand with her own, squeezing hard as he heard and felt the bones crunch and dug her fingernails into the skin. His eyes shot open as he saw her whirl around with an angry expression clouding her pale features. Small pools of his blood stained her fingernails as he felt them digging into his flesh.

Her hand still gripped his as she spat angrily, "You-you! You dirty-filthy son-of-a-bitch! How dare you do this! I want all the photos- all the evidence- and whatever else you have on me! I will kill your sorry ass easier than it is for me to break your hand into a million pieces!"

Keeping the shocked expression from coming to his face, he responded, "I have no evidence of any kind! I am not part of the United States law enforcement or any other law enforcement."

Her eyes narrowed as her mind clouded out all that he was claiming. All she could think or see was that she had possibly been caught by some kind of cop- a weird one. Continuing in her train of thought, she ground out, "What did you see?"

He gave her the same angry glare and answered, "Why I am here has nothing to do with any crime you have committed. I have explained to you that I am a servant of the one called Saya and I have only come to speak to you. I must convince you to come with me to Okinawa."

Her eyes opened wide as she could feel the bones in his hand coming back together and restructuring themselves before her very eyes. She dropped the nearly completely healed hand and her brown eyes met his cool blue ones. "How the… what the…?" she gasped.

"I have already explained this to you," he answered coolly. Something in her expression set off alarm bells in his mind. She looked completely shocked to see that hand heal before her eyes, but for some reason, the emotion didn't make it to her eyes. What was she hiding?

She slowly backed away from him as he continued, "I am not law enforcement. I am not even an American. I stay in Okinawa and travel the world looking for those like us. It is imperative that I bring you to the Red Shield as soon as possible."

She was backed into a tree and her eyes still remained wide as she asked, "Is that," she pointed to his hand, "possible for me too?" Again, the emotion seemed fake to him.

"Your kind- what Dr. Julia calls princesses, do not have many of the abilities that chevaliers or Saya and Diva do. You do heal quickly, but not as quickly as us."

She nodded, still not looking as if she was willing to believe she had seen what she had seen.

"Unfortunately, your blood can create more of those monsters or chiropterans," he informed her. "That is why…"

Her eyes followed his to a large white van pulling up to the fence. It seemed like nothing to her as she watched a few men wearing road construction vests jump out and place large orange cones down, but Hagi knew better. He recognized the driver as the lead scientist of Fimm Örvar.

"What the FUCK?!" she screamed as he grabbed her around the waist and began to jump into the air.

The movement was so fast he hadn't any time to react. Hagi was usually quite strong and fast, but only having to fight these lower class chiropterans had slowed his reaction time. He was very much out of practice with these quick and strong movements.

She pulled his arm away from her waist and snapped it around, whipping him back as her leg came up and connected with his right side, sending him sailing into a tree 50 yards off. The crack of the bark, as well as his bones was the last thing he recalled as the young woman ran off.

~0~

She jumped the fence and let tears streak her face as she approached the construction workers. They all looked to be about mid-30s and since they were human, she didn't need to worry about them trying to take advantage. She could kill any of them in an instant if she had to. "Help!" she cried out as she approached. "Help! I've been attacked by that pervert over there."

The doctor smiled wickedly as he prepared the needle. This would be the first time he had intercepted a princess before that chevalier could get to her. He carefully and quietly exited the driver's seat and crept behind the ranting princess.

"I was just over there, running and he came up…" she was explaining to the men when she felt a sudden prick in her neck and everything became cold as ice.

Before she could speak, she felt the prick again and a pair of strong arms caught her.

"Do you think two injections are a bit too much?" asked one of the workers as he pulled the girl into the van.

One of the lookouts turned to him and responded, "You heard the boss- the girl is stronger than all the others. Better to be safe than sorry."

The doctor was already in the driver's seat again as he calmly commanded, "Get in. We have a long way to go."

They all piled into the van and were on their way as the body by the tree began to move.

The van was gone by the time the figure in the dark clothing awoke. He couldn't follow their trail now that it had begun to rain, but he knew where they were going.

~0~

The cloaked figure bounced from shadow to shadow among the pristine white walls and floors of the facility. As she passed, cameras would mysteriously malfunction. Her movements were so quick, no one could detect her.

She passed by a room full of cabinets and three computers. Recalling what was taught to the small, lavender haired girl, she began to quickly move through each drawer and grab what she thought was important. Taking the files, she made certain to hold them high enough for the small camera they had attached to the hood of her cloak, to capture the images.

The small tracking device attached to her sleeve was constantly mapping her movements and the camera recorded what she saw. This way, the Red Shield could make a map of the facility before they raided it.

It took only 5 minutes for Lulu to get all she wanted from the files. A small voice in her ear piece demanded, "Try to hack anything you can from the computers."

She heard footsteps coming down the hall and ducked into a shadow, keeping perfectly still as they passed. When they were out of hearing, she responded in a small whisper, "Can't- not enough time."

She continued to make her way down the hall and came across a small room. There were blood packets and a couple of IV stands. Equipment was laid out on a small, stainless-steel table. There was a bed next to a window. _"This is where they do transfusions for the princesses." _She thought.

Other rooms were meeting rooms and a few offices. The basement was her next objective as she moved down the stairs. She could sense the weaker presences of the princesses. "One in each cell," she informed in a very small whisper.

"Affirmative," it crackled back.

She came to each cell and recognized a couple of them, but she had never met them all. Lulu usually worked a lot with Lewis in the CIA since she had finished school. They found that, along with her natural chiropteran abilities, she also had a knack with all things technical. That would have come in handy if she weren't so pressed for time right now.

Lulu had been doing a lot better since Julia had discovered that Diva's blood was what was needed to heal the Schiff from the terrible threat of the thorn. The lavender haired girl was given a small amount and was now healthy and completely thorn-free.

Unfortunately, the young girl would always have the appearance of a young girl. It was fine with Lulu, however, she would always get a good laugh out of the new CIA members when she would approach them and inform them in a serious tone, "Hi, I'm Lulu. I will be your new training coordinator." It was one of Lewis' favorite pranks.

Because of an issue in the pigmentation of her skin, she was still highly sensitive to sunlight and continued to wear a hooded cloak when outside. Working in CIA headquarters, where there are few windows to her and Lewis' office, she opts for a pair of black slacks and a white button up shirt. Lewis likes to tease her, "All you need is a black jacket with tails and you'll look just like your mentor."

Since working with Saya and Hagi all those years ago in the war, Lulu had come to adore Saya for all her abilities and her heart, but she was sleeping. Hagi, on the other hand was always paired with Lulu to fight whatever remaining chiropterans were around and had come to respect and admire the quiet chevalier. He never spoke much, but he was certainly an amazing fighter.

A loud sound startled her and she turned as she leapt into the shadows. Straining her ears, she heard a voice, "Lulu? Is that you?"

She came to the cell next to her and looked inside to see Kaylee, one of the many that belonged to Solomon. "Lulu?" she asked again as tears swam in her green eyes and spilled down her dirty face. Her hair was dull and nearly flat beside her face.

"Kaylee," she whispered as she reached through the bars to the woman's delicate hands. Knowing she had very little time left, Lulu encouraged her, "It won't be much longer. We are going to get you out."

"Please, don't leave me. They separated us and I am so lonely."

She looked around and then responded, "We are mapping the place now and it won't be much longer, I promise."

Her green eyes became focused and serious as she recalled the last bit of information she had heard. "Lulu, they are going to take the last princess. Hagi was about to go for her. I can only think that they seem to know everything so quickly because there is a spy in the Red Shield."

"Spy?" Lulu asked in shock.

"Yes," she responded in a convincing whisper. "I heard him talking with one of the doctors. I didn't see him because he was on the other side of the wall, but I know the doctor called him Hunter."

"I'll tell David as soon as I get…" she responded.

The main door to the basement was opened, causing Lulu to return to the shadows. She watched as 5 men carried a very agitated girl into the closest cell. They shouted obscenities as she thrashed and screamed their curses right back at them.

As they locked the cell door, the place echoed with the bangs of her kicks and the shrill, angry screams. Lulu heard their conversation as they complained about the girl.

"God-dammit!" one breathed as he wiped the sweat from his forehead. "I thought the doc doubled her tranquilizer."

The other was panting and grasping his knees. It took him a moment to respond. "He- did. He- doubled it- again- on the – plane."

"She was still fighting like a wild animal!" the third commented.

"She will make very powerful mice," informed the tall man in the light grey suit.

Lulu would recognize that rat anywhere- Argiano. Her child-like eyes narrowed as she regarded the man that was helping to cause all the trouble- and even had been the one to take the fall for it.

The others quickly dispersed as he told them to return to work. He looked into the cell at the wild-haired red-head. He smirked, "It's remarkable. She looks exactly like him."

Mary Frances was too angry to speak. Instead, she rushed the doors and slammed herself against the bars as her long arm reached through the bars. She would have had him by the neck if he hadn't moved. She screamed her rage as her long fingers tried to scrape at him.

He removed a small candy from his pocket and unwrapped it. "What a wild animal," he commented as he popped the candy in his mouth. "Like father like daughter." The wrapped fell to the floor as she screamed her frustration again.

Once the basement cleared, Lulu crept to the cell. She carefully and slowly moved to the cell and looked in.

Mary Frances felt a similar presence to that strange man coming near her and prepared to attack. Her hand came through the cell bars and captured the neck of a small child. It shocked her at first, but the pointed ears and lavender hair was a bit off to her. "What are you?" she growled.

Lulu whispered, "Keep your voice down." She was dropped to the ground. The young woman had red, messy hair, but Lulu was evidently shocked by the similarities to her mentor. "Y-you look like…"

"I'll ask again- what are you?"

"I am the last of the Schiff," she responded.

The girl smirked, "Which of the dead-beat monsters did you come from?"

"Diva," she answered as she gave a questioning look.

"Diva?" Mary Frances asked. "You mean you're not from the cheva… cheva… whatevers?"

"No," she responded. "I am a lab-created chiropteran- from Diva's blood." Lulu wanted to stay and question this girl, but her time was running short. "I have to go, but we'll come back for you soon."

Before Mary Frances could respond, the small Schiff disappeared in a light blue streak of light.

Lulu bounded through the shadows and sped through corridors, trying to get back to the file room. She had to find anything she could on the newest princess. Her hand smacked her forehead as she thought, _"Why didn't I ask her what her name was?"_

It was too late to go back now, she could see the hall and the door just across the way. There were three places to hide. She quickly hopped from place to place before she felt her hand in the grip of something behind her, something like her.

She turned to see the elongated head and grey skin of a chiropteran. It had jagged white teeth and drool dripped from them and splattered on the floor by her feet.

She turned to the sound of a man's voice- Argiano's. "Welcome to my company, Lulu. I would have preferred if you use the front door and not destroy my cameras."

Lulu grunted as she tried to break the grip of the chiropteran, but the fingers would not budge. This one was so much stronger than any she had faced before in the past 30 years.

"You like my mouse?" Argiano asked. "He was created yesterday- from Mary Frances' blood."

"H-how?" Lulu asked.

"We took a sample of her blood when we took her from California. This mouse took two days grow this much." He smirked before he added, "Not that it will do you much good, but we tested the sample of the DNA found under her fingernails." He smiled as he remembered, "Wait. I forgot that you didn't know. Our operatives caught her after she had been in a fight with Hagi. She managed to scratch him with her nails as well as knock him out. She's quite strong for a princess."

The lead scientist came up and began to search the small Schiff for any small objects. He smirked as he informed her, "We have the test results, Mr. Argiano. It appears that Mary Frances Reyes is indeed the daughter of Saya's first chevalier, Hagi."

Lulu gasped at the knowledge. It must be wrong! It had to be wrong! She shouted, "You lie! Hagi would never…" Her rant was cut short as she felt the grip of the beast tighten, crushing her wrist. Her cries of pain echoed through the facility.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N It's been a while my friends. I have been very sad about not being able to write on this story. Unfortunately, my hard drive crashed and I lost EVERYTHING for what I was working on, so I have to rewrite everything from chapters 9-14! **

*****Please reread Chapter 9! It's no longer an Author's Note! It's the REAL Chapter 9**

Chapter 10- Beloved Lost

"Please send your findings in an anonymous, unmarked envelope to the Red Shield," Argiano commanded. He then added, "I think Dr. Julia will find this quite amusing."

The scientist smirked as he found the hidden tracking device and camera on Lulu's clothing. He turned to Argiano and handed them to him. "I believe they were trying to create a map of the facility."

Argiano smirked as he took the two small items and dropped them at his feet. His expensive loafer crushed both objects as he watched the tears stream down Lulu's face. "I suppose they failed in that attempt," he surmised. He then looked at the small Schiff girl.

"Boss, what should we do with her?" asked one of the guards.

"I suppose Dr. Julia hasn't discovered how to cure the photosensitivity?" the scientist wondered with an evil grin.

Argiano shared the same wicked thought. "Open the skylight!" he commanded the guards. His hands made short work of tearing the cloak off Lulu, exposing her tiny frame, clothed in only a lavender sweater and jeans.

Lulu tried to shrink to the ground, but the creature held her broken wrist in a death grip as the skylights opened. The light burned her pale skin. The beast grabbed her under the arms and pulled her to standing, forcing her to face the light by pulling her lavender hair back. She wailed in agony as her skin bubbled and blistered. It was over in minutes.

Argiano and his men looked on the scene in disgust. He commanded, "Clean up this mess and dispose of the remains. The Red Shield will never infiltrate this facility now."

~0~

The technical team assembled looked on the scene with sad faces. It was terrible to lose such a valuable comrade, but the information they had assembled was crucial to the defeat of Fimm Örvar.

The general watched on as the information about the spy was repeated on the screen. His cool grey eyes narrowed as he thought, _"Lulu, you have not sacrificed in vain. We will destroy this facility and it's CEO for you."_ He turned on his heels and exited the tent. It was time to call David and Joel VI.

~0~

It had been a trying week for Dr. Julia. Standing outside her office, enjoying the sunlight, she took a long drag off her cigarette. It was a week ago that her husband had found that Miles Hunter, a man she had mentored and thought only positively about, was actually the spy that had caused them to lose Mary Frances. David reassured her several times that she had no way of knowing.

On top of all that, they had lost a valuable comrade and friend. Lulu was killed in a secret mission and her body had not been recovered. They sent a feed of her death to Dr. Julia, hoping that she could give them some reassurance to look for the Schiff girl. The general was quite fond of her and hoped she somehow managed to escape with her life, but Julia watched the grisly scene and was convinced Lulu could not have survived.

Thankfully they had managed a map of the facilities. Also the intel that Lulu had gathered from the file room was very useful. It told them how much Fimm Örvar knew about those they held and also the technology they used to create the chiropterans. Julia and her staff were working feverishly, hoping to discover a way to eliminate the threat of creating more. It was a serum that could be injected into the princesses that would neutralize their blood. She was hoping to create a gas that would be pumped through the ventilation system, hoping that when the princesses breathed it in, their blood would neutralize. It would eliminate the chiropteran threat, but the princesses would become completely human.

Unfortunately, the gas could only be tested once. All three of Amshel's daughters agreed to be tested. They all responded, "We have lived so long. We watched our children, our grandchildren, all grow up, have families, and die. We don't want to continue to live on as the world continues to pass us by."

She was startled from her musings when her assistant came to the door. "Dr. Julia, the mail has arrived." When Dr. Julia gave her a confused look, she explained, "I know I normally don't interrupt you with stuff like this, but there's a weird package here. It has no return address or any markings to say where it's from."

Julia still wore the confused look as she pushed off the wall and followed the assistant inside. Sure enough, a large manila envelope was separated out from the other mail. It was addressed

**Dr. Julia**

**Red Shield Clinic**

She took the envelope to her office and shut the door. When it was opened, the first thing to greet her was a letter.

_Greeting Dr. Julia:_

_You may or may not remember me. I went to medical school with you many years ago. You surpassed me and became Dr. Aston Collins' research assistant. It has been several years since we last spoke, but I trust you are doing well._

_I have written to inform you of some findings that the company I work for has discovered. The CEO believes you will find them "enlightening." There is no need for you to respond to this letter as I have left you no means to do so._

_Just know that the evidence comes from a reputable source. Without any further gloating, I give you the results of the paternity test for the princess Mary Frances Reyes._

_Sincerely, _

_Dr. Earnest Smith_

The next page few pages were maps of DNA sequences and the final page was the results of the two test subjects. Julia recognized a few of the patterns that matched and was astonished to find the names on the last page. "Impossible!" she gasped as she sunk down into her chair, dropping the pages on her desk. The last page on top revealed the father of Mary Frances Reyes was none other than Hagi, Saya's chevalier.

She recalled the Dr. Smith as the intern that had graduated first in their class and had many accolades to his name. Everyone was astonished when Dr. Collins had passed him over for the voluptuous blonde that had taken second place. He was indeed a reputable scientist. There could be no argument to the results except for what Julia knew about the chevalier. "He would never do this," she said out loud to the empty room.

~0~

Hibiki took one last glance in the mirror as she heard Kai shouting downstairs for her to hurry up. Her hair had just been cut and she couldn't get it to behave the way she wanted.

Kanade had finished brushing her long black hair and straightened her pink blouse as she brushed off her jeans. Upon entering the bedroom, Kanade placed her hands on her hips and watched the vanity of her sister in full force. "Geez Hibiki, it's just a graduation. You're not accepting an award or something. We're just going to watch George graduate from college."

"You never know _who_ will be there," she retorted as she pulled one of her blue streaks of hair to the top, being sure it was seen.

Kanade rolled her eyes, "Yeah I do. A bunch of people that will be watching the graduating class of 2036 and not giving a rat's ass about your hair." She grabbed her sister's arm and began to drag her out of the room.

As they came down the stairs, Kai ranted as he turned his orange-mixed-with-grey head. "It's about time! What were you two doing up there? Plastic surgery would take less time than you two!"

Kanade glared at Hibiki who glared at Kai as they made their way to the car. George had already arrived there, having taken a ride with some friends. Riku sat patiently in the back seat with a pair of ear buds pumping Japanese rock music into his ears. He had dyed his hair completely black and always had a shaggy cut that he spiked here and there. Kai groaned when he saw it, but the three earrings he put in his ears a year ago cause Kai to ground him and threaten to kill him.

The nineteen-year-old human didn't even lift his head as the trio clambered into the car. Hibiki always sat back with Riku to share music with her youngest sibling. Kanade liked to be up front with her dad. She loved Kai. It was a general knowledge that they weren't really his kids, but Hibiki and Kanade were not shorted in any way of affection with the man that raised them like his own. Kanade growled as she felt the back of her seat dip when Hibiki gave her a sharp kick. "Suck up," she heard from the back seat.

"Ingrate!" she responded.

"Daddy's girl!" Hibiki shot back.

Kai ground out as his knuckles turned white on the steering wheel, "I've had it with you two!" He came to a stop and looked at both girls. Taking a breath to calm himself, his voice in turn became gentle. "I don't want you two to end up like your Aunt Saya and your mom. They fought all the time and you know what happened to them."

Hibiki turned her angry gaze to the floor of the car as Kanade looked contrite. Hibiki was hurt when she found out that the reason her mother died was because she wanted to destroy the world. Kai had told them a few years ago about the whole thing. She was angry that Kanade seemed to side with their Aunt Saya, whom they never had met, and Kai over their mother.

She was still upset, but she did understand. Their mother was confused and pretty messed up. All the horrible stuff that was done to her made Hibiki cringe, she wondered if having her and Kanade would have changed their mother. She sighed as she guessed they'll never know.

Deciding to change her mindset with a change of view, she turned her gaze to the window. Her brows came together as she caught the sight of a blue streak darting among the trees next to the road. She gave a knowing smirk and wasn't the least bit surprised when the blonde haired man smirked back. His frills on the periwinkle shirt danced in the breeze as he disappeared back into the trees holding up two fingers. She knew the signal immediately. She would meet him in two hours in the heavily wooded area by the school. Hibiki sighed. At least now she had something to look forward to.

~0~

The family took many pictures with the handsome red-headed man his cap and gown. Kai appeared so happy that he was about to burst.

Kanade was so proud of her adopted brother as they both read over his awards and of course, the degree itself. He would be leaving for Boston in a few days. His new career was already mapped out. She was sad to see him go, but she knew he would have a wonderful life to start there.

The girls had both attended college, but only Kanade had completed it. She was a Registered Nurse that preferred to help out at Omoro, watching over Kai, her sister, and her brothers. Hibiki may decide to go abck to school and finish the degree in bio-engineering, but for now, she was just enjoying being eternally young.

Julia and David approached with their son and his new bride. They offered congratulations to the young man, but the girls and Kai all noticed the almost melancholy way Julia seemed to talk. Her smile seemed forced.

The group was standing and talking companionably when the darkly clad figure approached. Julia's look became even more grave as she acknowledged Hagi. The rest of the family greeted him warmly as Kanade beamed at him.

Hibiki nudged her with an elbow and a low growl, "Geez, make it obvious."

She returned in a whisper, "Come on, Hibiki, he's been gone a long time. Don't you miss him too?"

Hibiki's expression became cold as she responded, "Nope. I don't pine over a man that can't keep his hands (or other parts) to himself."

Kanade rolled her eyes as she hissed with venom in her voice, "You can't condemn him just because you _think_ he's done something wrong." She started to move toward the man she called her uncle when she was pulled back by the wrist.

"Slow down, sister," Hibiki warned. "You don't know what he's been up to and I'm not letting you get yourself twisted up any more than you already are."

Kanade shook her wrist from her sister's grip and gave her an angry glare. "What are you talking about?"

She responded with a smirk, "You're in love with him."

The two sisters stared at each other for a moment- one in shock and one with anger. Kanade finally broke the glare and looked down at her feet, proving what Hibiki claimed was true. She had grown very fond of her aunt's chevalier over the years, but her attachment had become an attraction- a dangerous one. When Saya awoke, her memories and feelings would return and from what Kai had told them, Hagi was in love with her… and her with him. Kai explained that when the Red Shield returned without Hagi, Saya lamented over the fact that she wasn't able to tell Hagi how much she loved him.

"You better break your own heart now and let him go," Hibiki warned. "You'll only hurt yourself with this fantasy that he'll share your feelings." Her glare returned to the man they spoke of. Her gaze had darkened as she continued, "You'll end up hurt like Aunt Saya will be when she finds out that he had an affair while she was asleep."

Kanade gave a low growl and responded, "You don't know that it's true. Until I see a DNA test _proving _he's the father, I'll keep believing there's been a mistake." She then looked at her feet and added, "I know it's stupid to think he'll ever share my feelings, but…" She became quiet as her gaze turned to the dark haired man as he spoke with her father and brother. His face always held little to no expression, but his eyes conveyed an eternity of knowledge and pain.

Hibiki nearly growled as he came to the pair. Looking past her uncle, she saw Kai giving her a look that warned against any upsetting behavior. Kanade, of course, began gushing like some school girl about all the stuff he'd missed the past few weeks, causing Hibiki to roll her eyes. She honestly didn't see what her sister saw in the man. He was too quiet- too creepy. Sure, he was undeniably the most handsome man she'd ever met, but he was just so… weird.

She recalled all the times when she was young. Kai had members of the Red Shield over for meetings and Hagi would quietly stand against a wall or near a window. People would completely forget he was even there, but you could _feel _him watching. He was so tall, yet he could hide himself in plain sight.

There was a connection between the chevalier and his nieces because they were not human, but that connection felt different now that they were older. To Hibiki, he was the property of the eldest and reining queen of the chiropterans- someone that was to be given due respect. To Kanade, he was forbidden fruit.

Something was troubling the chevalier. Kanade was overly eager to share all the stories of the family and what the neighbors were up to, but that wasn't unusual. It was Julia and David's behavior- they seemed to be upset about something. There was a fire in David's eyes as he motioned for Hagi to join them a distance away from Kai's family.

Kai was too busy with his son as the girls and Riku joined in a group hug and giving George a round of praise. They didn't notice the others go off a distance to have a small meeting.

David's jaw was set in anger as he spoke, "I am certain you have heard about the loss of our friend and colleague, Lulu."

Hagi gave a grave nod.

"Her sacrifice is a great loss, but its benefits are great. We have learned that Miles Hunter was a spy panted at first in Julia's clinic to finds information on chiropterans for Argiano and the scientist Earnest Smith," he informed. "When he was moved to work as an operative, it gave him even greater access to what he really needed- locations on the princesses. He has since disappeared from headquarters and cannot be found."

He waited before he added, "The operatives have been able to create a map of the facility and the information from the files gave us insight on the people that are working there. They are mostly scientists and assistants that worked for Cinq Fleches. General Elliot is working on a plan to storm the facility, but there's a problem."

Hagi nodded and spoke, "The chiropterans they produce are stronger."

"Yes," David admitted. "It appears they wasted no time in using Mary Frances Reyes' blood."

Julia elaborated, "The fact that these chiropterans are so much stronger is proof of the red lines potency."

Hagi's jaw clenched as he looked at the floor in front of him and closed his eyes. The look was subtle, but Julia could read all the frustration in his stance.

"I didn't want to believe it either, Hagi, but it appears that Mary Frances Reyes is your daughter," Julia informed as she produced a manila envelope that had been opened once before. Indicating the folder, "I received this from Fimm Örvar recently. When you fought with Mary Frances, she scratched you. They took samples of that DNA and compared it to hers. I even cross-referenced the DNA found under her nails to yours- they are a match."

Hagi stared at her coolly and responded, "It's a mistake, Dr. Julia." He tried to return the envelope without opening it.

Refusing to take it, she answered, "I have a copy at the clinic." She added with feeling, "You're her father, Hagi."

He looked away and kept his voice even, "No, I am not. There has been a mistake."

David turned to Julia and asked her politely to leave them for a moment. Once she was far enough from them, David spoke to the man who had turned from him. "Hagi, I know I usually don't speak freely- it's not in my nature. You know somewhere in your past, something happened. You might be ashamed of it, but pretending it didn't happen won't make it go away. You have to face this- the same way you made me face my self-loathing in England 30 years ago."

Hagi looked at him but kept his guarded expression. Why deny again if they were just going to think their own way?

"Take the file with you. Look at it when you have time. Julia wouldn't even bother with this if she thought there was even the slightest chance it was fake."

Hagi gave a nod and left the building. The path that led from the university meandered through a small park with cherry trees along the path in full bloom. His dark silhouette blended in with the contrast of light and shadow. The soft pink blossoms fell around him as he thought about the situation.

"_I have been following Saya for 157 years. I have fought by her side, taken wounds that would kill, and I have always returned. There is no way that this has happened."_

He continued to retrace his steps mentally, to see if there was ever a moment of weakness. Nothing came to mind. _All_ his thoughts were of Saya.

The path had made a complete circle back to the place it started. On the side of the pathway, he noticed a trash bin. Lifting the file in his hand, his mind came back to the moment where they looked into each other's eyes and both seemed completely shocked at the similarities. He could almost hear her calling out to him.

He sighed and shook his head of the thought that this could be his daughter. The next moment, he was gone, leaving behind a gust of wind and a manila folder in the trash bin near the university.


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N We're back to our Friday postings as usual. I hope you enjoy this one. Chapter 12 is going to be Nathan's memories- since I just LOOOOVE to write for him (he's so much fun). Remember- reviews are LOOVE!**

Chapter 11- Stronger

The smell of the dew in the air when the fog stretches over the landscape always gave Private James Tucker of the United States Marine Corps a sense of homesickness. It was usually like this in southeast Texas during the fall. He was thrilled to find out that he was to go with the early morning patrol.

He certainly did not miss the sound of winter snow crunching under his feet and was looking forward to warmer weather. Iceland was nice most of the year- not at all like the name implies. It's very green here mostly, but it still has cold weather.

A smell came to his nose as he moved forward into a patch of dense fog. His senses were on high alert as he followed the scent of something burning but didn't hear the crackle of a fire. It wasn't unusual for one of the local Inuit to have a camp fire as they hunted or camped, but this smell was different than burning wood.

He moved slowly and crouched low. One of those monsters could be near as well. He listened carefully for a sign of life, but heard nothing. All he could see around him was white and hazy silhouettes of near by rocks or trees.

His foot caught on something causing him to nearly fall. He stumbled forward a few paces before he caught his balance and let out a loud curse. Trying to see what his boot had snagged, he retraced his steps as he noticed the strong scent of smoke was coming from whatever was under the black cloak at his feet. Lifting the cloak, he nearly puked. The lavender haired body of a small girl was blistered and torn. He called out for his fellow Marines to collect the body.

~0~

Kai looked at Hibiki in disbelief. She sat across from him at the bar as her expression sank further. She placed the files next to each other and responded, "I wish it wasn't true, but it looks like we were right, Dad."

He finally found his voice and his feet. The setting sun beamed through the window as he ran a hand through his grey streaked hair. "He really is her father?"

She only nodded as she felt the lump in her throat tighten. This news had already broken Kanade's heart and was going to shatter Saya's. Her voice was filled with emotion as she spoke, "I found it on Dr. Julia's desk after I had my transfusion today. When I asked her if she was going to tell us, she said that she was waiting for Hagi to be here since he's denying it still."

Kai looked at her, "Is there any way it's wrong?"

She nodded, "We won't be able to get anything more accurate without Mary Frances and Hagi both giving a sample of their DNA in a sterile environment, but Dr. Julia seemed to be convinced." She added sadly, "This is one time I wish I was wrong."

"Me too," Kai agreed as he looked out the window. It was a perfect view of Hagi playing his cello on the beach. He was further off, but Kai could still see him. "_Would a man like him break that easily?" _Kai wondered. _"He waited for her for more than 100 years- that's a long time for any man to wait." _

He turned his eyes from the window as he recalled a time just after Riku was born.

_It had been a really rough night. The girls were in high spirits and refusing to go to bed, Hagi was in the US looking for another princess, George was suffering with a bad cold, Riku wouldn't stop crying, and Carrie was snapping at him for all the crap she could think of. He had to get out for a while._

_He wasn't planning to be out long- just a walk to clear his thoughts. The neon sign of a nearby club caught his attention. "One drink will make me feel a bit better," he reasoned within himself._

_Japanese Techno music was pounding through the speakers, causing his bones to vibrate. It did nothing to ease the stress headache he was suffering from. So many people were crowded onto the dance floor, writhing and grinding against each other, but Kai's sights were set upon the bar._

_He didn't recall the bartender much more than the memory of a shock of ruby red hair and contacts that made his eyes appear the same color. Kai's thoughts were on Saya from the moment he took the first drink._

_He recalled taking a shot (where it came from, he didn't know), toasting his sister, and gulping it down._

_It was 5am when he woke up in the back seat of his car in a puddle of his own drool. Reeking of cigarettes and old Saki, Kai drove himself home. _

_His head was pounding and it didn't get any better from going home to the angry shouts and questions of his wife. Part of him was relieved that Hagi came back early from his mission to help out, but the other part could feel his unspoken accusation as he glanced at the disheveled Kai from the corner of his eye._

When Kai looked up, Hibiki was already gone to her room, leaving behind the file. He could hear Hibiki comforting her sister as she nursed her broken heart. Kai smirked as he thought of Hagi always being a hero in her eyes- ever since he showed up 26 years ago, but his smile fell as he imagined those days were now over for her.

He gave a tired breath as he grabbed his jacket and keys. There was only one person left to talk to.

~0~

The rhythmic _clack clack clack_ of Dr. Smith's dress shoes echoed through the hallway of the facility as he made his way to Van Argiano's office. The smirk on his face caused the prominent smile lines that etched his mouth to deepen.

The doctor was feeling quite happy this morning- they had been able to isolate the enzyme in Mary Frances' blood. They now could use this same enzyme in an experiment created by his mentor- Dr. Aston Collins. The happiness danced in his brown eyes as he addressed Mr. Argiano, "Sir, I have the information requested."

Argiano turned from the screen behind him. He had been speaking to an investor in a conference call, but that could wait until he finished here. He took the file given to him and read over the information presented. "Well, it looks as if our friend has quite amazing blood," he commented. "Is she a chevalier?"

"No, but her blood does seem quite similar to that of the other documented chevaliers," he responded. "There is something about the red line that seems to be more primal and dominant. The chevaliers and the queen herself never had to use their true power to transform completely. Their blood creates very strong mice." He added under his breath, "I wouldn't mind getting a hold of the chevalier- or the younger red queen to see what their blood could do."

Argiano heard the comment and gave a smirk as he continued to skim over the document. "Don't think the idea hasn't crossed my mind as well, but you saw how much trouble we had with that princess. We would never be able to capture Hagi- all of Diva's chevaliers never could." He gave a wicked grin as he finished the file, "We could use these mice, however, to capture Kanade. They are intelligent enough to do the job."

The doctor smiled back, "Yes, but I think my next discovery will change your thought. We have found and isolated the D-base in Reyes' DNA. I have been able to replicate it and inject some into a local dog. The animal is in our laboratory."

Argiano quickly rose from his seat and followed the doctor. They knew that using human subjects could be dangerous at this point. They had a large facility, but they did not want to risk the chance that their plan might be leaked to the Red Shield.

They came to the 1 inch thick plexi-glass window. Suddenly, a muffled snarl came from the other side before a red-eyed animal slammed itself into the widow. There were spikes protruding from its spine and the paws had elongated, thick claws. The fangs had elongated, giving the creature a pre-historic looking image.

"It was a medium size dog when injected. He has grown 4 times his original size and can be injured in any way- he will heal," the doctor informed.

"Dr. Smith," Argiano asked, "how do we get this serum into humans?"

He responded coolly, "The same way Cinq Fleches did- food. Unfortunately, many governments world-wide are now very cautious about imported foods, but I have a solution." He waited as the CEO turned to him. "We create chocolate candy bars and use a local Inuit woman to pass them out under the guise that they are made by her. They will be distributed to the soldiers around here. They will ingest them and transform into mice."

"We do not need anything to cause the transformation- like Diva's singing?" he asked.

"No," the doctor answered, "the reason Cinq Fleches had to use Diva's voice was that there was something in her DNA that would not complete the transformation without her singing. I believe it is because the princesses are already half human, their DNA is more compatible to ours."

Argiano smiled at the snarling creature behind the glass. The animal growled back and bared the rest of his sharp teeth. "Do we have any theory on the rate of transformation?"

"No, sir. It needs to be tested. Even if it is only 10 percent, it will still be to our advantage. We would be turning 10 percent of our surrounding enemies against themselves."

"Indeed," he responded. "Begin the next phase of production."

Before Argiano could walk back to his office, Dr. Smith added, "We really do not need the other princesses any longer. What should we do with them?"

"You are right. There's no longer any reason we should keep them."

"Should we send them back?"

"That is a waste of money and man power. Give them the injection and they will join our fight- as mice." Argiano continued down the hall, unaware that anyone other than the doctor and a few interns heard him.

~0~

The princesses had finished their shower and were all in the same large cell, drying off and brushing their hair. It had only been two weeks, but they had come to know their new arrival pretty well.

She had come from a fatherless home- like many of the others. Her mother was a prostitute when Mary Frances was conceived and had decided that she wanted better for her daughter. Mary Reyes started The Center in 2018; a year after her daughter was born. Mary Frances had grown up among prostitutes and addicts, sometimes with children. She had seen the ugly side of life at a young age.

When her mother died in 2034, she took on the responsibility of running The Center in her mother's place. The job was a labor of love on her mother's part, but it wasn't something Mary Frances felt like she wanted to do for the rest of her life. The next year, a councilman approached her with $50,000 and the plan of purchasing the center to have it run by the city of Los Angeles. He knew Mary Frances had just turned 18 and did not want to run The Center any longer.

The young woman had a friend that was a role model to her. She spoke of Daddy Green often- he was a father to her. She gave him $5,000 for a beat up old diesel with a rusted trailer in bad condition. She scrapped the trailer and purchased a new one- shiny and black. She worked very hard, side by side with one of the diesel mechanics she knew. It took nearly a month to fix up that old cab, but it was worth it. When it was all said and done, she had a shiny black semi.

She didn't share the trouble she got mixed up in with Pappa Harlo, but she did like to constantly spout, "Dammit! I nearly had my life together when that ass showed up."

Her thoughts would constantly drift back to her sales of the parts she had pulled. Was anyone at the shop able to keep it going? How much had they made?

Kaylee was standing at the back of the cell, eavesdropping as usual. Mary Frances often wondered why she continued to do it, knowing there was little they could do stuck in this tin can.

Kaylee watched the youngest princess from a distance. The girl was given the luxury of a contact lens case and some solution. Her brows furrowed briefly as she recalled none of the other princesses having any vision problems. Mary Frances _was_ the daughter of a different chevalier- not to mention that chevalier came from a different queen. She just shrugged and continued to overhear a conversation on the other side of the wall about chocolate bars.

Kendra noticed something completely different than Kaylee about the new arrival. "You dye your hair." It wasn't really a question, but a comment.

"Yeah," she responded as she roughed her red hair. The roots had grown a quarter of an inch of black hair under the vibrant burgundy. It was floppier than before she was taken, causing her to curse under her breath as she grabbed a brush. The other princesses could already see the waves developing in her hair. "I wish I could have some hair dye."

Kendra absently asked as her thoughts drifted to her own children at the moment, "Is your natural hair color black like your father?"

The cell went completely silent. No one had told Mary Frances that the scientists had discovered that he was her father. Many of them still didn't want to believe it.

She gave her questioner a puzzled look before she turned back to her task of brushing through her hair. "My hair is actually black."

"Your eyes- are they blue, too?" Kaylee asked.

Her brows knitted together as she recalled the steel-blue, no-nonsense eyes of the tall man she had spoken with two weeks ago. "No, my contacts are for seeing- not coloring my eyes brown." She then quickly asked, "Are you guys asking me because you _think_ you know who my sperm donor is or because you_ know_?"

The women looked at each other as if debating whether or not she should be told. Finally Renee spoke, "The scientists used the DNA found under your nails to compare it to your own. It proves that Hagi is your father."

Her eyes briefly became wide in surprise. "You mean that pervert in the park…"

"He's no pervert!" shouted Renee. "If it weren't for him, many of us would never know what we are. He's saved more lives than you can imagine."

She snorted, "Yeah, yeah. Does he fucking walk on water too? I don't care what he did back then, he was acting weird in the park and I defended myself."

"Did you stop to think he may have been protecting you?" Kaylee asked as she joined the group. "From what you told us, he was trying to get you away from the van before they took you."

"I don't care. If he's really my dead beat dad, where was he all those years I needed him? He wasn't there and I had to fend for myself," she snapped.

"You had your mom," Kendra observed.

Mary Frances cooled down a bit before saying, "Yeah, I had my mom."

The group was suddenly interrupted by a familiar face to all those that had been there longer than a year. He stretched his long frame against the bars as he ran a hand though his blonde, messy waves of hair. He always wore a sneaky smile and some frilly lavender shirt.

Nathan visited every 2 months in an effort to keep up with what he called "the other side of Diva's family." The princesses gathered near him on the other side of the bars to hear about how their families were doing. Mary Frances joined them out of curiosity.

"How have my daughters and sons-in-law been?" was the prominent question among them, which he calmly informed each of them what he had observed.

Shortly after the facility was built, Nathan happened to be in Iceland. He was curious about the place being built inside of a mountain. He took the form of a guard and watched over the place from time to time. When the princesses began to be collected, he realized what was happening. He visited the princesses disguised as a guard and then, while in the US, would check on their families for them. The families were all diligently looking for their lost matriarchs.

Kaylee would let him know what she had overheard and he would relay it to his only source within the Red Shield- a person no one would suspect of being a Red Shield operative since she lived in the middle of nowhere herding sheep. Monique, who had kept in touch with Mao Okimura, would then tell her.

Nathan hated dealing with a busy body like Okimura's wife, so he would secretly deal with Monique. The woman was now nearing 50, but she still looked young and smiled often. There were two orphans that came to visit her now and again with their families in tow. They often asked after Saya and Kai. Nathan told them he knew very little of either in spite of knowing that Saya was asleep in the family tomb in Okinawa.

A very tall red-head pushed her way to the bars and asked, "Who are you?"

Nathan could sense Saya's blood pulsing through the woman's veins and also her age- she was quite young compared to the others. He began to reason within himself that he must be wrong. There was only one chevalier that still lived from Saya's line and she looked so much like him. Her face was a little rounder and her eyes and hair were the wrong color, but there could be no mistake. In spite of the revelation, Nathan's expression remained shocked.

"Will everyone please stop looking at me like that?" she complained.

"So," Nathan teased, "even the placid chevalier couldn't resist some down time."

She raised an eyebrow and returned, "You're one to talk! I can feel it- you're a cheva- cheva- whatever. That means someone here is your kid too."

He raised his hands in defense, "Hold on, little girl, I bat for the other side." At her confused expression, he rolled hiss eyes and elaborated, "I thought the shirt made it obvious, Darling- I prefer men."

"You're gay?!" she asked in shock. "Why would anyone want a gay cheva…?"

"It's chevalier," he interrupted. "We may not be great for fathering the next generation, but we are the greatest shopping companions ever!" He then added in his flamboyant way, "Why would you cover up that gorgeous black hair with a ghastly burgundy? It really isn't working with your skin."

She folded her arms over her chest and responded, "I can do whatever I want- it's my head."

He smirked and gave a slow nod, "You're nothing like your father, yet you're exactly like him."

"Just what is that supposed to mean?" she shot back.

He just smirked as he decided to ignore her question. There were more important things that needed to be discussed. He already began to mull over what he would say to that sneaky chevalier when he saw him again.

"The Red Shield is planning on using something that will make you completely useless to Argiano and Smith. I thought I should warn you. When they complete the mission, you will no longer have extended lives and your blood will be just like an ordinary, boring human. You will live out your lives as if you were human."

"So we will be able to grow old and die?" Kendra asked.

He nodded as the women looked at each other, questioning what each thought. Kendra turned and responded, "That's fine with us. We don't want any more people to die because of our blood."

Nathan nodded and gave them a thin lipped look. He remembered Saya saying the same thing before she and Diva fought their last battle. He recalled the look he saw on Hagi's face when Saya had won and was about to kill Kanade and Hibiki. It was at that moment, he realized what Saya's true intent was. Hagi was supposed to kill her and then himself- eliminating all chiropterans- or so she thought.

"I will let them know," he answered. He then looked to the red-head and said, "I'll tell your dad hi for you when I see him."

She turned away from him and answered, "Don't tell that bastard a goddam thing from me." Her face contorted in anger as she recalled his words, _"I would never betray Saya." _She muttered under her breath, "Well it looks like you really did, liar."

Nathan made his goodbyes to the others and left. His heart felt heavy from the thoughts of the girl in the back of the cell. She was very strong and now very hurt. As he walked away, Nathan projected his mind into hers and saw what she was remembering. Hagi denied what was obvious to everyone and, without realizing it, injured her. Nathan smirked as he bypassed a well guarded wall in her mind and found the secret behind all her pain. It was terribly sad, but she was turning her pain into anger- anger against he one person she needed most- her father.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12- Nathan Remembers

Nathan made his way from the facility to where the mountains became flat land. A glacier had once been in this place. It brought him back to a time over a thousand years ago.

_No human thought anything could inhabit a place like this, but the immortal beings came to this place once every 100 years to share their stories and to mate. The queens would bring their chevaliers with them to the frozen wilderness that was now called Alaska. The palace was hidden far from the range of human strength. _

_When they all came together, a queen would look for the chevalier of her opposite bloodline in order to reproduce. If the queens came to an agreement, the chevalier would be traded for a few human slaves or a chevalier from that queen. Then, once the meeting was done, a queen would take the chevalier with her and the mating process would occur once she returned to her homeland. They could mate many times, but only one time would she bear queens. _

_The time in question was Nathan's fifth journey to the North Palace. He lived in England with his queen and her first two chevaliers. The queens and their families were scattered all over the earth in different places, but the favorite chevalier of his blue queen was the first chevalier of the red queen of Japan. _

_The Queen of Japan was furious with this union. She refused to trade her greatest warrior for anything. The chevalier was very tall with broad shoulders. His black hair was slicked back into the style of a samurai. His expression always remained placid as his piercing blue eyes caught every movement._

_It didn't matter to Saya- Nathan's queen. This was the one she wanted to be her mate and nothing would stand in her way. During the festivities, she disappeared from the festival, taking the chevalier with her. When they returned, she had already claimed him as hers. _

_The rival queen would not be satisfied and threatened Saya's life. The Counsel of Elders convened and decided that Saya was to be exiled with the chevalier she had stolen. All three of her chevaliers were given to the Japanese queen as retribution. She sneered at the gift and released all three chevaliers. _

_Saya's first chevalier took his own life- what was a chevalier without a queen? The second went to fight in human wars and became a great warrior among men. They worshiped him as a king until his madness caused his downfall. He was beheaded by his own people._

_Nathan followed his queen even after he was released, anger still dominated his feelings as he watched over Saya and her mate from a distance. They hid away here in Iceland- there were not many people here and they could remain in hiding. Before she gave birth, a great storm came. The place that was their shelter was ripped apart by howling winds and blinding snow. The couple faced the storm, but realized they wouldn't make it. Both were weak. There weren't many animals or people to feed from this time of year._

"_My queen, you must survive to preserve the next generation," the chevalier demanded. There was fear in her brilliant blue eyes as he continued, "You must take your fill from me and transform. Fly south- away from the storm."_

_She shook her head as tears froze on her face, "No, Akihiko, I will not leave you."_

_The surprise at the way she spoke to him was evident in his face. A queen never addressed a chevalier by name. He shook off the surprise as his heart swelled to bursting. "You must!" he demanded, "You must save our daughters!"_

_Fresh tears spilled down her cheeks as she realized he was right- the duty of a chevalier was to protect his queen. Before she could make another argument, she latched on to him and began to drink his life force. In the depths of despair, she drained his corpse and felt her life-force grow stronger. She looked down upon the body of her mate and her heart shattered. _

_She grabbed his katana and let out a loud keening wail that was lost in the howling winds. Her long black hair blew around her in thick waves as she lifted her mate's katana and slammed it into the ground where he lay. Her fingers elongated, her mouth and nose grew longer and more animal-like, leather-like skin came down from under her arms, and her skin became grey and stronger than any man made armor. She took to the skies with a mighty roar. _

_Nathan looked on. His heart was still hardened against his queen. She had abandoned her chevaliers and her own kind for this man. He was torn between his love for her and the feeling of betrayal that tore him apart._

_The winds had turned her around as they swirled and pelted her with tiny needles of ice. She was now headed into the mountain range and toward the glacier. She could barely see the mountains through the blinding snow. She dodged and swerved until her wing caught on a rock, spinning her as the flesh of the wing ripped. She was slammed, head first, into the side of the mountain. _

_Nathan watched in horror at the events unfolding in front of him. Her body fell into the snow. He rushed to her side to find that the side of her skull was bashed in and she wasn't regenerating. He tore his wrist with his teeth and shoved it toward her mouth. _

_She shoved him away and spoke, "No! My faithful chevalier Nathan, I cannot live without Akihiko. I choose to join him. Live on Nathan- enjoy your immortal life and have the fun I always promised you that we all would have together."_

_Tears fell from his eyes as he realized he was too late. If only he had made his presence known sooner. If only he had let his anger go! He could have saved her! "My queen, my Saya…" He began to weep out loud._

_Her icy cold claw cupped his cheek as she continued, "Nathan, please look after my daughters. One will be a great warrior like her father and the other will have a voice that will be worshiped by all who hear her."_

_Nathan nodded as he sobbed. She turned her head into the wind and he felt her pulse stop. The cold weather on the glacier would be her tomb. He transformed into his true form and used the rage he felt to strike the frozen earth. The ground opened up and swallowed the body of the chiropteran queen._

_The next century brought forth a plague on mankind. Unfortunately, the plague was even more deadly to the immortals. Nearly all died when infected by the humans they fed from. While Nathan mourned over the loss of his queen, his own kind were dying all around him. When the plague finally ran its course, only a handful of chevaliers remained. For all Nathan knew, there could still be some alive today, but he was certain the rumors of vampires were probably true._

_He kept away from Iceland and tried to live his life, the way his queen had asked, but in the end he was always alone._

~0~

_It was this way until the 1960's when he was traveling through Vietnam. He was traveling through the jungle, just exploring the world when he felt the strong call of blood and heard the mournful song that made his blood roar in his ears. His vision hazed in the color red. A queen was near!_

_He crashed through the trees and splashed through the swamps as he felt the presence become stronger and stronger. Suddenly, he felt the nick of a blade at his throat. It was a chevalier, of course. His hands went up as he tried to get a look at the man who held him from behind. He could feel the man was taller than himself and he had heavy, black wool long sleeves- a jacket._

_A serene yet stern deep male voice asked, "Who are you and what do you want?"_

"_Relax," he responded in his sweetest voice, "I'm just a tourist. I just wondered into this camp. As you can see, I have no weapons and can't defend myself."_

_The man who held him released him and vanished in an instant. He didn't get a good look at him, but he knew he was a chevalier- the chevalier of a red queen. Deciding to press his luck and to see how strong this chevalier was, Nathan moved toward where he felt the queen was. There were military vehicles and tents set up. She was in a military camp?_

_His thoughts went no further. Something large and very heavy smashed into the side of his head, knocking him unconscious. _

_When he awakened, he was back in the jungle wondering what had just happened. He could feel the presence of the red queen was about 3 miles away- her chevalier was closer. In the opposite direction, he sensed a blue queen. He arrived where she was being kept during her sleep. It seemed to be an old church and she was guarded by a rather odd chevalier. _

_Nathan was able to sneak around the place and discovered the queen had not just one chevalier- but four. He joined them and they made him drink the queen's blood, making him a chevalier. Little did they know, he already was a chevalier._

_It was explained to him that his queen and the red queen, her sister, were fighting each other to the death- that they had been fighting each other for nearly a century. He was astonished. Usually queens only fought if they were battling over territory, but never to death! _

_He found out later the reason why the queens were fighting. He wanted to take Diva away from there- to give her a chance at a decent life, but Amshel had her completely dependent upon him. Amshel had abused her to the point of making her insane. He thought it would help her if she had babies to ground her thoughts._

_Solomon also seemed to be completely dependent upon Amshel's word- calling him "Big Brother." Nathan scoffed- if they only knew anything about their ancestors, this would have stopped immediately. The queens say was all that mattered. Her chevaliers obeyed her completely. _

_When Diva did wake in 1972 and Nathan discovered how much she resembled his queen. He questioned Amshel about Diva's mother. That was when he discovered that Diva and her sister were his queen's daughters! It made him even more gentle with the beautiful blue-eyed living china doll that was Diva. He tried to show the others how to behave toward her, but they were so reliant on Amshel that they didn't even take heed._

_It also seemed eerie to Nathan that Amshel looked so much like the mate of his queen. The only difference was that Amshel appeared at least 20 years older. _

_On Christmas of 1972, Karl called them in to assist him. He had lost his arm in a battle against Diva's sister. He kept speaking about how magnificent she was in battle and her glowing red eyes. When asked what happened to her, Karl could only spout awestruck praise._

_Nathan and James were sent out to find out what had happened to Saya, but all they found was her chevalier. _

_Hagi was asking around the encampment of soldiers if they had seen the Red Shield or his queen. Nathan noticed his he had a bandaged arm and hand hidden under dark woolen sleeves. There was a very large and heavy looking instrument case held by a strap over his shoulder. His style was rather old-fashioned, but he was truly a handsome man. _

_James wanted to attack him and take him hostage to Diva, but Nathan felt that they should give the chevalier an offer and possibly end this war. James finally agreed to give his idea a chance and they headed for the chevalier._

_They were nearly 20 feet away from the darkly clad man when two daggers embedded themselves in each of their shoulders. The chevalier was before them, in a fighting stance. The strands that had worked their way loose from a blue ribbon tied at the back of his head were dancing in the light breeze._

"_We are not here to fight you," James informed as he pulled the dagger out and twirled it in his hand. Nathan noticed the red jewel in the hilt of each. _

_He said nothing as he continued to watch them. His face seemed completely emotionless as he waited for the next part of the conversation._

_Nathan finally spoke, "We came to give you a proposition to end this war."_

_Hagi still kept his stance and finally responded, "I will only do what Saya wishes."_

_Nathan's eyes widened a bit as he heard the name of the red queen. She was named after her mother. Aside from that, it was a moment of relief to know that this chevalier behaving just as he should. Only his queen could make a decision like the one they were suggesting._

_This war had made Hagi wary, but Nathan could sense the feeling of alarm and guilt came off the chevalier. Outwardly, he appeared the picture of calm, but he was a bundle of nerves inside. Nathan saw the images of the recent events that occurred as he tapped into Hagi's mind. _

_Hagi had allowed the Red Shield to use his blood to awaken Saya. Nathan hid the wince that he normally would have given. All chevaliers were warned to never force a queen to awaken. Not only do they lose control for the time they are awake, but the hibernation resets and he has to wait another 30 years for her to wake up._

_But this poor chevalier was not even aware of half of the things he needed to know about himself or his queen. It was to be expected- none of these queens or chevaliers had a Council of Elders or even another queen to explain things to them. _

_The worst part was that the Red Shield had taken her with them and hidden her from her chevalier! No wonder Hagi was alarmed and out of sorts! A queen should be guarded at all times while in her sleep. She is weak and can easily be killed. Nathan knew better than to tell anyone of this. Saying anything would have deadly consequences for the red queen._

_Nathan walked past James and placed an arm on the taller chevalier's shoulder, an apparent act of sympathy. James wore a look of complete shock as Nathan seemed to be talking with the apparently much older chevalier. They all knew that Hagi was Saya's chevalier nearly as long as Amshel had been Diva's- that meant that if they were to join forces, it would make Hagi second in command. What Nathan was doing was an act of rebellion! How dare he act without Amshel's consent!_

_It was painful to Hagi as he went over his thoughts. What this chevalier was suggesting was wrong- he could feel it. Yet, he still was upset at the memory of how Saya looked at him when she awoke. Saya had been the image of pure hate and rage, tearing at everything she saw and heard. This was all his fault. He couldn't imagine how he could ever face her again. She had cut off his arm and nearly killed him. He had to continue to protect her, but could he trust her? It wouldn't matter one way or the other if she didn't wake up this time. This had never happened before and he was afraid she may not wake up this time._

_Hagi was so busy in his thoughts, he hadn't noticed Nathan's arm on his shoulder. He shrugged the arm from his shoulder as Nathan began to speak._

"_I'm sure Saya is as tired of this fighting as you are. She would want there to be peace between us all. I'm sure she would be thrilled to find that while you were away you managed to negotiate a peace between our parties," Nathan coaxed as he began to lead the chevalier toward the mansion in the jungle._

_Hagi followed obediently as he mulled over what this chevalier could possibly want from him. The speech was that of a master salesman and was about to pull out the trump card on him._

"_You know Saya wouldn't want any more innocent people to lose their lives because of chiropteran blood." _

_As Nathan predicted, the words hit home. The chevalier gave him a glance, but Nathan was certain he saw the remorse in Hagi's blue eyes. They came upon the mansion as James began to look around for any escape route. He knew at any moment Amshel would show up demanding answers for why the chevalier was not eliminated, but standing in front of the very place where Diva was._

_Nathan gave a sly smile as he used a secret power that covered the kinetic energy Hagi emitted since he was the red chevalier approaching the territory of the blue queen. He turned to Hagi and briefly thought of the spider and the fly- "Come into my home," said the spider to the fly._

"_All we want you to do is to spend a little time with out dearest Diva. She's been very calm lately- you know how it is when they're about to go into hibernation," he informed._

"_How will spending time with Diva bring peace for us all?" Hagi asked. _

_Nathan smiled inwardly at the chevalier's mistrust. Hagi was certainly handsome and seemed easy going, but he was a shrewd one. But Nathan knew something Hagi didn't know- when a chevalier came near to his queen's sister his blood would call out to her and her blood to his. The desire to mate would be irresistible. He just needed to get Hagi close enough to see her. _

_Nathan led the way toward the mansion as he stalled for time, "You won't need to do anything painful. Actually, I think you may enjoy this very much. If you like, think of it as negotiating a treaty." He caught the sight of James slinking away and gave a smirk. He knew it wouldn't be long before that would happen. James was not about to do anything without Amshel's stamp of approval. "There's a good little soldier boy," Nathan mumbled under his breath._

_He was shaken from his thoughts when Hagi's bandaged arm began to twitch. His gaze followed the chevalier's to see Diva lounging in her favorite chaise lounge by the bay window. Nathan was surprised when he caught the almost pained expression in the chevalier's face. He was fighting the connection! _

"_Hagi," Nathan reassured, "you don't need to fight it."He placed a hand on his shoulder in reassurance as the chevalier gritted his teeth and gave a shaky breath. "It's completely natural for you to be attracted to your bride."_

_Hagi's eyes opened wide. It was obvious that he now knew the truth as to why he was brought here. "My bride?" Hagi asked. Nathan could feel the self-doubt twirling behind the black bangs that hung messily around his eyes. At that moment, Hagi's resolve returned and he began to speak in a low, but determined voice, "She may have hurt me, but I have hurt her even more. Saya is my queen." His hand began to twitch violently and he winced as he tried to bring it under control. "I will never let myself be tempted from my mission."_

_Allowing his hands to transform, Hagi unleashed the emotion he was feeling in a low groan and the twitching stopped. He was hunched over from the intense ordeal. As Hagi straightened, he gave Nathan a cold glare. "Saya's wish is my wish- I will not let you distract me from my mission."_

_With that, Hagi launched himself toward the window. His intent was to eliminate Diva- not mate with her. Nathan almost intercepted the chevalier when a streak of blue blindsided Hagi, carrying him with it into the nearby jungle. Nathan was left standing near the window. _

"_You fool," James accused as he came around the corner, Diva in tow. She was standing arm in arm with him, twirling a long stemmed blue rose and an eerie smile. "When Amshel is finished doing the job he _intended_ for us, he will take the rest of his anger out on us. Since you are the main culprit, you'll get the worst end of it."_

_Nathan merely smirked as he knew Amshel could do nothing to him. "My dear James, aren't you even willing to give Diva a chance at becoming a mother?"_

_At this Diva's expression clouded as her hand tightened around the stem of the rose. In a deceptively sweet voice, she asked, "James, where is my sister Saya's chevalier? I want to see him."_

_James answered, "Amshel is taking care of him at the moment." _

_She pushed him back gently and allowed him to kiss her hand. She began to leave, but called out, "Amshel, bring that chevalier to me, RIGHT NOW!"_

_In the next moment, Amshel appeared before them, straightening his suit. "Diva," he smiled, "I was simply taking out the trash. What is it that has you troubled?"_

"_Amshel," she purred, "get Saya's chevalier for me." She then added in a more menacing tone, "I want babies."_

"_Diva," Amshel calmly answered, "I thought you would prefer a mate more deserving of you." His hand touched her cheek. "You shouldn't want after some street-raised urchin. Later, when we have made certain that your singing career has been established, we shall find you a more suitable mate."_

_With a sweet smile she turned and took Amshel's arm, apparently agreeing with him. Amshel glared over his shoulder at the two youngest chevaliers and allowed his eyes to turn red. With a growl he warned, "I will deal with you two later."_

_Nathan and James did get a firm scolding, which Nathan blatantly ignored. Amshel had to be cautious around Nathan, he could feel there was something different about him and he was too cautious to do anything to cross him. Nathan knew this, which is why he would blatantly disregard almost everything Amshel said. _

_James was a different story all together. He had some respect for Nathan at one point, but what Nathan had done had Diva thinking James didn't want her to have children- the one thing she had truly wanted more than anything else. Nathan just shrugged, "James was always a mama's boy anyway. It's about time he had to face facts that he's not enough for Mommy Dearest."_

Nathan looked down at the landscape that lay before him. The glacier that once held his queen had long melted, leaving a lush green landscape that was nearly flat. There was nothing to tell where she had lain, but he knew the spot like the back of his hand. A thought came to his mind:

_Hagi fought so hard against his own instincts- and overcame them with very little difficulty. How is it that he gave in so easily to a mere human woman? Although Nathan understood very little of love, he knew one thing- true love wasn't fickle and for Hagi, this was true love. _

He smirked as he could hear his queen's voice speaking in his mind, "You know he would never betray Saya. Humans and science itself may say what it will, but you have seen where his heart lies."


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N This is for all you that were completely broken up about Lulu's death. By the way, she is one of my favorite characters, too. Actually, I love all the characters, but I could do without Amshel. Enjoy! Please don't forget to let me know what you think of the story so far.**

Chapter 13- Beloved Found

Within a week, chocolate bars began to be handed out to soldiers in the military. The young, strange girl that the Marines had found was nearly recovered. Their medic seemed to know that she needed blood. Her courage and perseverance were an inspiration to all the young men and women there. It was two months before she was fully recovered. All that had been fortunate to come in contact with her were astounded that she had not even one scar on her little body. Unfortunately, she seemed to have no memory of who she was or what had happened to her.

Everyone at the base was on edge. Every day another soldier went missing and more of those monsters kept showing up. They were stronger and seemed more intelligent. No one understood what was going on.

They had moved the little girl to the VIP tent which she shared with an aging officer who had many children and grandchildren at home. She reminded him of his youngest granddaughter, so he called her Alice, after the girl. She had to stay indoors, for some reason she couldn't go into the sun. Her skin would blister right away and the burning would persist well into that night. She had to receive at least one transfusion a day, but the men didn't mind lending their young mascot a pint or two.

A camouflaged guard stuck his head into the tent, being careful to keep the sun from seeping in. "Sir, you must come. The Red Shield has important news to share with you and they are demanding all officers are to attend the meeting."

The old man groaned as he glanced toward Alice, knowing she was wrapped up in a video game on his ipad. He looked back, "Who was sent this time? Is it that blasted General Whitehead?"

"No sir, they sent someone else. It's David. He's real worked up about something, too. He brought someone with him."

He smirked, "One of his lower ranked soldiers?"

The guard shook his head as he was trying to find a way to describe the man. "I know he's not military… I'm not sure what he is." At this, the officer became curious and grabbed his jacket. "He's dressed like… I don't like to say, but I think he looks like he's going to a costume party or something."

The older soldier smirked, "He had a giant case on his back… a cello that looks like a coffin?"

"Yeah," the soldier straightened, letting in a bit of light that luckily, never reached Alice.

"Hey!" she shouted as she ducked behind the bed she was sitting on.

The soldier looked sheepish as he closed the flap around himself and came in. "Sorry," he directed at Alice. He asked the officer, "How'd you know?"

"I used to be in the secret service, guarding the secretary of defense in 2007. I was young and bold, trying to prove myself," he explained. "We were at the Met on business with a company called Cinq Fleches. Man, I saw things that night you wouldn't believe. We had seen hell that night and lived to tell about it." He sighed, "When the dust settled I decided to come back and help to find any survivors of the explosion. Some young red-head with a Japanese accent was passing out this picture of someone that was _really _important to him. He wouldn't take "dead" for an answer. He said the man's name was Hagi."

"We searched and searched, but all we found were red crystals and dead bodies," he buttoned his uniform and checked his reflection. "I always wondered if he had gotten out. Now I get to find out how he got out."

~0~

David and Hagi waited patiently for the arrival of the commanding officers of the US military that was occupying the area. Hagi stood against the wall, no expression on his face, but he kept feeling a presence- someone familiar was near and it wasn't human. Right now, this meeting was more important.

The officers and commanders entered the room and greeted David with a salute, not really noticing Hagi. One seemed to single him out though. He had sky blue eyes under his bushy, grey and white eyebrows. He shook the chevalier's hand and greeted him warmly, "Well, for the life of me, I never thought I'd get to meet you. I am Officer James Craig. I was one of the secret servicemen that were there the night of the Met explosion. After the dust settled, I helped them search for survivors." He smiled warmly, releasing Hagi's hand, "Your picture was passed out to all the searchers- that Kai was sure that you were gonna be okay."

Hagi raised an eyebrow. No one had ever told him that the Red Shield continued to look for him after the explosion. He was certain that they had all returned to Okinawa thinking he was dead. Joel never made any indications to think otherwise. He gave the man a bow and replied, "Thank you for searching for me."

"I was meaning to ask…" he began but was interrupted by an over-zealous staff sergeant as he took his seat near him.

David commanded their attention, but barely needed to raise his voice. He lifted his hand, revealing a familiar looking chocolate bar. They were being handed out all over the base by seemingly grateful locals. The room fell silent as David eyed them all and cleared his throat.

"As many of you know, my name is David. I am the assistant to Joel Goldschmidt VI, the CEO of a secret organization called The Red Shield. You have been briefed about the fact that no information about The Red Shield or the creatures we will be discussing. It is imperative that this remain between those in this room." A quick glance around proved that the group was willing to stay tight-lipped.

"About 30 years ago, a company called Cinq Fleches used a similar guise to pass off an agent called Delta 67. It turned all those that heard Diva's song into those monsters you have been seeing. These may be weaker versions, but their numbers are enough to overwhelm us."

"Wait," one of the highly decorated generals called as he rose from his seat, "do you mean to tell us that these candy bars turned our missing men and women into… those creatures?"

"Yes," David answered gravely. "I know the United States has not told you the real reason why you are here. They believe this is a remnant of what happened in 2007 and that because Iceland is so remote, the chiropterans weren't spotted until now. That is not the case."

The faces displayed around him were all surprised, a bit frightened, but most of all curious. He pressed a button on a remote and his wife, Dr. Julia appeared on the screen. "This is my wife, Dr. Julia. She is the head of the bio-medical research that is being conducted on these transformations."

"Good morning," Dr. Julia chimed in from the screen. "I am the head scientist and researcher of The Red Shield. I wish to inform you that the candy bars you have been eating are changing a few of your soldiers into these monsters. They offered them to our operatives. I have analyzed them. The transformation rate is only 20%, but the good news is that we are working toward a remedy to this serum. While we are working in this, keep your men and women away from anything the locals may give you. Don't take any chances."

"Dr. Julia," an officer spoke up, "what if they have already eaten some of the bars?"

"There is no guarantee that they won't transform, but the chance are only 1 in 5. If you keep them away from anything that could be tainted, they should not have an effect."

As the questions continued, Hagi couldn't shake the feeling that someone was close- someone similar to him, but different. It wasn't a princess. His presence was not needed for this meeting, so began to move toward the door when a question stopped him in his tracks.

Another commander asked as he rubbed his beard with his fingertips, "So, how do we defeat these monsters? So far the newest ones seem to be completely invincible."

David responded with a sad sigh, "Hagi is our only weapon at this moment." He gestured to the chevalier. It was still a painful thought to bring up Lulu. She would have been fighting alongside Hagi if she were alive. He added, "Hagi is uniquely trained to fight these monsters."

A young, impetuous officer stood up and demanded, "If he can be trained to fight something like that, then any of us could be too! Train me to do it…"

David ignored the young man's comment, "Our real weapon will not be available to us until next year."

There were several arguments to his last statement, but Hagi managed to slink out without being noticed. It would be more like eight months until Saya woke up. He had to get the princesses out before that time. He had to get Mary Frances out of the clutches of Argiano and to the clinic in Okinawa, but first he had to find that presence.

~0~

The cold iron bars broke up the image that lay beyond the plated glass window. The smell and taste of freedom, it was something one took for granted until they had to go without it.

Mary Frances was learning this for herself. She was in the middle of her daily transfusion, looking out the window- to freedom. There had to be a way out.

She hadn't seen even one other princess in at least a month and she was still being held against her will, in total isolation.

Her hair was now short and completely black. Dr. Smith would not allow hair dye, but at least they had it trimmed so it was all one color. As it was, her hair was already long enough to tickle the nape of her neck.

She mused over the memory of the information Argiano had shared with her. He told her the story of the two queens as he had learned it from Dr. Collins. He would visit Argiano in prison and share the tale piece by piece. She now knew about the more-than-a-century-long-war that had been won when Saya defeated Diva. She knew that Diva's daughters were now being looked after by The Red Shield. He had also told her of how all the chevaliers had once been human, but turned.

Images came into her mind as she lay back on the cot and stared blankly out the window. She imagined what it must have been like for them- dying only to become some other-worldly creature that never sleeps or eats.

Her mind turned to her… to him. Even in her mind, she couldn't think of him as a father. She wasn't stupid and she knew from the moment she set eyes on him, he wasn't either. He was already looking for the princesses before she was conceived. That meant he knew if he slept with a human, he probably had gotten her pregnant. He should have at least checked on her mother overt the years. Surely he had to know the risk he was taking? He _had_ to have known.

Her thoughts were interrupted when a technician came in the room with a needle. _"Nighty-night time for me- or so he thinks," _she thought as she smirked. They moved by patterns and she had memorized the schedule as well as the general layout of this wing of the facility. She calmly awaited the warm feeling of his hand on her arm, to steady her while he injected the medicine that would knock her out.

His hand was grabbed and the next thing he knew, he was in the wall with an excruciating headache.

She made quick work of stripping him of his lab coat and glasses. It was hurriedly, but she manages to tie some of her hair back and pull the rest of it back with an extra large rubber band she had found on the floor. If she kept a good distance from anyone in the facility, they might not recognize her.

She looked herself over and realized she would not be very convincing without pants. They only allowed the princesses to wear drab blue hospital gowns. The technician was slightly shorter than her and a bit heavier. She had to turn the waistband 3 times and pull the legs down a bit. His shoes were a bit larger than her feet, but she could manage.

Mary Frances gave one last look at the now nearly naked man lying on the floor and smirked, "That was just too easy." She dashed down the hallway with a speed no human could see, only slowing to walk past the cameras so no one would suspect anything. The small door that she knew was a laundry shoot was only 100 feet away.

The next moment, she was flopped in a pile of soiled sheets and surprised faces of the guards she never calculated on being there. "Oh shit,' she murmured as she tried to figure a way out of this. The guards closed in on her, leaving her no escape. She beamed an innocent looking smile and placed her hands on her head in surrender. It was the fifteenth time she had tried and failed to escape.

~0~

Nathan beamed a genuine smile as he watched Kendra, the youngest daughter of James wave gratefully before turning to go back into her daughter's house. He could relax now that all of Diva's line was safe with their families. His plan had been last minute, but it worked.

While he was at the facility 3 months ago, he had managed to overhear a conversation of the plans Argiano and Dr. Smith had for the princesses.

They had planned to keep Mary Frances and create chiropterans using her blood. Argiano commanded Dr. Smith to turn the princesses into chiropterans.

Nathan smirked as he recalled saying, "Not while I'm here."

He came up with a brilliant plan. The guard that was supposed to give the injections was always notoriously late. While the previous guard, sick of covering for his coworker, left on time, Nathan snuck the chiropterans he found into each cell as he removed the princesses that were there. Unfortunately, the latest princess was in another part of the facility at the time. When they late guard did show his face, he thought the other guard already gave the injections.

Now all he had to do was to figure out how he would get their favorite test subject out. As he headed back to the airport for his flight to Iceland, he thought, _"Hagi's daughter… I would love to be there when Saya finds out. It's going to be one hell of a blood bath. He'll probably get worse than Solomon did from Diva."_ He sighed as he wondered, _"I wonder why this newest generation of chevaliers can't keep their dingalings to themselves?"_

~0~

"What?" Julia asked into the cell phone as she looked at her screen. Her emails had been lit up all morning. The princesses had mysteriously returned to their families and they were praising a name she thought she'd never hear again- Nathan Mahler. "But he's dead!" Julia responded to the joy filled family member.

Kai, who was there with his two daughters, was getting a drink of water from the cooler when he overheard the last of the conversation. "Who's dead?" he asked.

"Nathan Mahler," she responded.

Kai affirmed it, "Yeah, I didn't see him die, but I did see the corpse of a chiropteran that could only be him cut in half on the stage of the Met that night."

She tapped a pen on her desk and informed him, "The princesses Fimm Örvar kidnapped have been returned."

Kai's face lit up, "That's great! Then Hagi and the Red Shield succeeded."

She shook her head and responded, "No. Apparently someone managed to rescue them from the facility."

"Who?"

"They claim his name is Nathan Mahler," Julia answered.

Kai began to cough as he swallowed his drink too hard. After he regained his composure enough to breathe he asked, "Nathan Mahler? Are they sure it's the same guy?"

"He matched the description down to the cowboy boots and pink tights," she answered as she began to scroll through her contacts.

Kai smirked and responded, "Only Nathan could dress like that." He looked up at Julia and asked, "So what are we going to do?"

She placed her cell phone back to her ear and responded, "All we can do is contact David and Joel to inform them that Nathan Mahler is alive and we think he may be working with the Red Shield."

"Do you really trust him?" Kai asked as he raised an eyebrow. Julia had been complacent with her trust before and Kai was doubting her still.

She shook her head in response as she asked to speak with Joel. When the secretary transferred her to Joel, she informed him of the situation. She added, "From what we have learned so far, we can't judge whether he is trying to help us or if he is working under his own agenda."

She knew if her husband was here, he would be certain the rogue chevalier was only working for his own gain- whatever it may be.

~0~

Hagi continued on his quest through the camp. That presence was so different from any princess, but yet so familiar. As he came closer to the tent where the presence was, he almost could see the image of a small, lavender haired girl. He shook his head attributing the thought to grief. No one in the Red Shield could say that Lulu hadn't touched their lives in some way and they all missed the only remaining Schiff greatly. Now all the Schiff were gone and hopefully together, somewhere, enjoying the sunlight they could never feel or see in this life.

Not wanting to give away his approach to the being within the tent, Hagi opted to open the flap and look directly inside. The tent was neat and organized, save for the blanket crumpled on the floor. There was a noise from some sort of digital game emanating from under the blanket.

His footsteps were muffled by the soft ground under the tent as he came to the bundle on the ground next to the bed.

"Hey," came a familiar voice from under the blanket, "close the flap, will ya!? Kinda allergic to sunlight here!"

Hagi closed the flap tight as he thought, _"It couldn't be!"_ He lifted the blanket to reveal a lavender haired girl with eyes nearly to large for her face. "Lulu!" he whispered in disbelief.

Her brow furrowed and she corrected, "No, it's Alice." She looked over the smartly dressed man and asked, "What kind of soldier are you? I've never seen anyone wear a suit into a battlefield."

He raised an eyebrow, "Don't you recognize me?"

"Should I?" she asked as she looked him over and then flopped onto the bed. "Do you know Jimmy? He stays here, too. He kinda looks after me. He lets me use his ipad to play Candy Crush! See!" she showed him the device with the colorful images of candy in little rows and columns. She began to explain the game to her new friend as she continued to play. Whether he was interested or not, Lulu kept chatting about the game and ignoring the fact that this man somehow knew her.

The tent flap opened just barely, allowing the aging soldier to enter. "Well, Hagi, this is a pleasant surprise. I never expected to see you in my tent."

He stood and spoke, "I apologize for my intrusion. This young girl- how did you come to have her here with you?"

The soldier proceeded to tell the tale of how Lulu came to be in their camp and how they cared for her in spite of her odd health concerns. She was quite resilient for someone so young, so he said.

Hagi spoke openly to the aging soldier, "The girl you have here is a Red Shield operative named Lulu. She was under the guidance of CIA agent Lewis and my self."

The soldier and the lavender haired girl shared a look of surprise. She finally asked, "You mean… you know me? You really know who I am?"

Hagi looked into her confused and hopeful green eyes and responded, "Yes. Your name is Lulu. You are the only remaining Schiff and a CIA agent that also works for the Red Shield."

She still looked as if she had no idea what he was talking about. She then asked, "Who are you again?"

No one could tell the pain Hagi felt that she did not recognize him. He understood that her memory was wiped out in the incident that caused her near death experience, but it still hurt him. He responded in his usual monotone, "I am Hagi, the one who serves Saya."

None of this made any sense to Lulu nor did it jar her memory. She came with Hagi to David, holding to his hand like a small child. She didn't recognize the aging man at all.

Everyone back at the Red Shield base greeted her warmly and even threw a small party for her. Julia teleconferenced with David, Hagi, and Lulu. She was glad to see the Schiff girl and all agreed that it would be best for Lulu to return to Okinawa to receive treatment. Hagi would accompany her since Lulu seemed to trust him more than anyone else.


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N Okay I know I'm posting early. I have already typed up to chapter 20 and just want to post this and put you all in suspense until Friday. Please don't forget to leave a review.**

Chapter 14- Where the Heart Lies

Lulu played with the small device that was given to her by the very tall man that claimed he knew her. They gave her a few transfusions over the course of 2 weeks and so far, she was beginning to recall bits and pieces of her life.

She could remember Ghee and Irene as they spoke of freedom and one day being able to lie in the sunlight. She remembered Moses and his plans to keep them free while fighting some enemy she could not recall. The others were still vague in her mind, but she felt a warm sensation whenever they came to mind.

She did not remember Hagi or Saya, but whenever Hagi was around her, she felt a sense of peace and admiration. He must have been very important to her.

To everyone's surprise, she remembered Lewis right away. She chatted with him about all she did and the people she had met in the Marines' camp, but she did not recall what it was she and Lewis did together in the CIA.

Julia reassured that Lulu's memories would come back, but it would be a slow process and they shouldn't rush her. Each day she played her game and wondered around the clinic. Once in a while, she helped Julia.

After the second week, Kai thought it would help Lulu to be around Hibiki and Kanade. He took her back to Omoro with him and she was able to meet the twin daughters of Diva. The girls were thrilled to have their eternally young friend back with them. She did not remember either of the twins, but she enjoyed spending time with them and Kai's younger son Riku.

Kai thought it would be a good idea to let her see the weapons the other Schiff had used. Maybe it would remind her of them. Hagi had returned from the fight in Iceland to accompany her to France where Joel had stored the weapons in Red Shield headquarters.

While Hagi waited on the porch of Omoro for Lulu to finish packing for the week long journey, Kai came out to join him. It was the beginning of fall and the weather was very pleasant. A cool wind blew through the city of Koza and down toward the ocean. Kai sighed heavily. This was going to be one very intense conversation.

Hagi did not turn to regard the man behind him. His attention did not stir even as a strand of his hair was blown into his face.

Kai gathered his courage as he took a deep breath. He looked up to the heavens to give him some kind of divine strength and spoke, "Hagi, I know you don't agree with the results of the…"

"That is not your concern, Kai," Hagi interrupted as continued to stare at the ocean.

"Like hell it's not!" Kai shot back. He ran a hand through his now graying hair and grumbled something unintelligible. He then pointed to the second floor of Omoro and informed him, "Those girls look up to you and all you can say is that it's none of their concern?"

Hagi did not respond in any way. Kai took a breath to calm down. "Look, Hagi, there must have been a time- some time when you went somewhere to unwind. Maybe you had a few drinks and forgot what happened."

"Chiropterans cannot get drunk, Kai," he informed him calmly.

"Okay," Kai responded. "Maybe you got some kind of drug in you…"

"I do not eat or drink anything, Kai," he interrupted.

"Fine," Kai responded. He then reasoned, "Look, I get it that you don't _want _to remember, but there are a lot of questions that need to be answered. When you do get her away from Fimm Örvar, what do you think she's going to ask you, huh? She'll want to know exactly how it is that she is your daughter. She'll want to know where you've been and why you never checked on her mother. How do you intend to explain that? I'm sure she's figured out the timeline. You would've known there was a possibility!"

Hagi did not respond.

"Come on Hagi, there's no other explanation," he demanded. "When she does get free, you're going to have to learn to be a father to her. She's gonna want to know where you've been."

Again there was no response.

He sighed in frustration. Hagi had to explain this. "What about Saya? She wakes up in less than a year. What are you going to say…?"

He was cut off as a hand gripped his throat and lifted him from the ground. His gaze was met by a very angry looking chevalier. He had never seen Hagi look this agitated. The chevalier growled, "I will tell you this once more and I hope you hear it: I have _never_ betrayed Saya."

Hibiki suddenly appeared in a blue streak, prying her uncle's fingers from her dad's neck. "Uncle Hagi," she grunted from the effort, "Let him go!"

The chevalier dropped the man and flashed a cold glare at him. Hibiki whacked him on the back of the head, causing his angry glare to turn to her. Unafraid, she scolded, "What the hell, Uncle Hagi? He's not nearly as strong as you! Why the hell would you do that?"

He coldly informed her, "I would appreciate it if nothing more was spoken about Mary Frances Reyes until she is here." With that, he walked calmly up the stairs to check if Lulu was ready.

Hibiki lifted Kai's head and shoulders into her lap. "Geez, Dad, did you really think you could take on a chevalier? Not only that, you took on Hagi! Are you crazy?"

He coughed and chuckled at the same time, causing more pain than before. He was going to feel this in the morning for sure. "I guess I am nuts, Hibiki. I just wanted him to explain the affair."

She looked at the stairs he had been on a moment ago. "He'll never admit it, Dad. Even when they perform a DNA test in front of him, he'll still say no way. He will do anything to keep Saya in love with him, including lie."

~0~

By the end of the day, Hagi and Lulu had arrived at the Red Shield headquarters. They chatted with Joel for a while before heading to the vault where the weapons were kept. As they arrived in the room, Lulu gave an ominous shiver. She walked along the corridor in her jeans and a lavender t-shirt with a large flower on the front. She looked un-Schiff-like without her cloak. For some reason, this bothered her here.

The heavy metal door blocked their way as Joel leaned down and punched in a code. A disembodied voice spoke, "Code sequence approved. Welcome, Mr. Goldschmidt."

The door opened with a low groan. The room was dimly lit, but still some light glinted over the razor sharp metal of the arsenal that was placed very carefully on the table. Lulu's ears twitched as she came to the table. Memories came rushing back in a deafening roar. She saw Ghee, looking at the moon and trying to reach up to grasp it. She saw Irene, smiling and talking with a much younger Kai. She saw Gundrif and Darth standing in front of her, protecting her as they fought for their lives. She saw Dismas and Jan, smiling at her and telling her to sleep well as the morning sun rose outside their hideout.

Tears fell as she saw Moses and Karman, arm and arm as they came to her. She saw Saya and Hagi, fighting alongside them on Christina Island. The sun was so bright as she saw the two of them walk into the sunlight together. Their weapons lay on the table in front of her.

"Moses! Karman!" she cried as she began to move toward the two.

Moses shook his head as Karman spoke, "You can't come with us, Lulu. You still have a lot to do. The Red Shield needs you to help save the world from chiropterans."

Her mind swirled with images of those grotesque beasts she had fought alongside David, Kai and Lewis at the Met.

"Chiropterans have returned and things will get worse soon," Moses informed her.

"Hagi's daughter," she breathed. Lulu remembered the face. Her face was slightly rounder, her lips a little fuller, and she had brown eyes, but there was no mistaking that she looked a lot like him.

They nodded, "Her blood may be what created the chiropterans, but she will be instrumental in fighting them," Karman added. "Hagi may not be accepting of her at first. You must help train her."

Memories of Lewis and the CIA flooded her thoughts, then the secret mission at the facility. She cried as the painful memory of her own death flooded her senses.

The pair led her to the table and placed her hand on Moses' over sized scythe. Moses looked through the lock of hair that covered his eye and informed Lulu, "She will be best suited for this weapon."

Lulu turned her gaze to him so quickly that tears scattered in the air like glitter. She sobbed, "I can't… I can't take your weapon. Your memory…"

"Will be put to good use," Moses interrupted. "There is something you must know. She is holding a dark secret- a secret that may destroy Saya and Hagi both. You must get her to tell them."

Lulu nodded as she felt very frightened. Hagi and Saya were the strongest creatures she had ever met. What kind of secret could this young woman be hiding?

As soon as her hand lifted the weapon, Moses and Karman disappeared with smiles so bright that they blinded her. She was left holding the staff of the scythe in her hand as she wept on the table. She was crying the names of her beloved friends as she recalled every moment she had lived.

When she finally stood and wiped her face, she saw Hagi and Joel looking at her as if they were simply waiting for something to happen. She walked up to Joel and smiled brightly, "Hi, Mr. Joel." She shook his hand and then turned to Hagi and informed him, "I am ready."

Hagi simply gave a stiff nod.

She turned to Joel and lifted the scythe. "Moses wants me to take this," she informed him.

"They belonged to your friends and those friends left them in your care, Lulu. You may do with them as you wish," he informed her warmly.

She noticed the now graying temples and the way his cheeks were sinking in a bit. He was older. Her gaze turned to her mentor. His hair was still shiny ebony and his face held no lines or any other indication that thirty years had passed. This part of her family would not age, but they may die in this new war.

"Oh, what the heck!" she said as she embraced Hagi. Who knows what was going to happen in this war. At his inquisitive glance, she explained, "Something may happen to you like it did to me. I don't want to say one day that I never hugged you and told how much you mean to me."

Joel smiled at the childish display of affection while Hagi did not even look bewildered. He simply placed his hand on the top of the lavender head in front of him. "Thank you, Lulu," was his simple response.

Hagi wasn't sure how much of Lulu's memory had returned until they arrived at the airport and began their venture through the security check points. As usual, they asked to search the cello case, but before Hagi could protest, Lulu piped up, "Look, Miss, my uncle is a musician and you _know _how temperamental they can be about their instruments." She gave the security woman her best pouty look and they were waved through with a simple scan. It was something Lulu always did when they were sent on a mission.

She murmured as they took their seats aboard the private jet, "You owe me… again."

He simply gave the girl a small smile as he placed the cello case in the storage space Joel had set up for that purpose. They had always flown this way. The jet would be ready for them at whatever airport they mentioned. Joel told them it was much easier than flying in a passenger plane- especially with the amount of arsenal they had to carry.

Moses' scythe was already with the luggage in the back of the jet along with some supplies for the clinic. The pair were to return to Okinawa and to allow Julia to give Lulu the all clear before they returned to Iceland and the battle.

After Hagi settled in, he responded to her earlier comment, "What about all the times that I have saved you?"

She turned to him with a knowing smirk and answered, "Face it, _Uncle Hagi_, you couldn't make it though a security check-point without me."

"It would be painful for the airport and not very good for publicity if they tried to stop me," he answered.

She giggled, "My way is so much easier, though."

"I never said that it wasn't. You told me that I'd never get through a security checkpoint, not that I could do it without a mess," he corrected.

"Okay, you win," she smiled.

His expressionless face didn't give away his thought that it was good to have Lulu back. He was a bit surprised when her face smile fell. She looked at him seriously, "Hagi, I saw her."

He raised an eyebrow.

"The girl," she elaborated. "Your daughter."

He gave a barely audible sigh as his gaze turned to the window. _"Not you, too," _he thought.

"Hagi," she reasoned in a calm voice, "I know she's your daughter. I've been around you for thirty years now. I would have been around Saya that long too, but she's in her sleep." Her brow furrowed as she tried to think of a way to explain this. "Hagi, I've been fighting by your side longer than anyone, except Saya of course. I know you're not the kind of man that would do what they think you did."

He looked at her with curiosity. No one- not one had given him the benefit of the doubt so far. He finally gave in and spoke openly, "I have spent the past 6 months searching through every street and every alley Mary Reyes was known to frequent. None of them reminded me of anything. I was never there. Even her picture- I know I have never seen her before."

Lulu was taken by surprise. Hagi was never open with anyone and he never spoke so freely of his thoughts and feelings. It hurt her to see the pain in his eyes because she knew no one believed him.

"Julia claims that Fimm Örvar conducted a paternity test and found that I am the father of Mary Frances Reyes," he informed her as his gaze moved to his hands that were folded in his lap.

"So what?" Lulu asked. "That doesn't tell you _how_ you fathered her. Look, Argiano wasn't released from prison until 2021, but Collins had an assistant that was roaming the world- probably doing all kinds of experiments. How do you know that he didn't do something to Mary Reyes, causing her to get pregnant?"

"No one in Cinq Fleches or Fimm Örvar has my DNA- in any form," he answered. He had asked these same questions night and day for the past 6 months and the same answer came back- he must have forgotten a moment of weakness.

Lulu now jumped from her seat as the seat belt light went off. She took her mentor's hand in her smaller hands, "Hagi, don't give up! I know you and I know where your heart is. You love Saya more than anything. What they think happened did not happen because _you_ _love_ _Saya_." She pleaded with him, "Please don't give up. You and Saya are the only family I've got left now."

His eyes widened a bit at the open way she was speaking to him. They were bound together by this seemingly never ending war so they may as well be family.

Both were startled by the sound of the copilot clearing his throat. Lulu resumed her seat without looking away from the man in uniform.

"Mr. Hagi, Lulu," he greeted, "an urgent message has come over the radio from Dr. Julia in Okinawa."

They both kept their expressions even, causing the copilot to wonder if he should continue. After a moment, he added, "She wants you to return to Omoro right away. Kanade Myagusuku has been kidnapped."

They both showed no expression and thanked him for the information. Once he was gone, Lulu looked at Hagi with sadness in her eyes. "If you hadn't been with me in France…"

"It is not your fault, Lulu," Hagi responded to the distraught girl. "They have been watching Omoro for some time now."

He had known they were watching and he also knew that before they took Mary Frances, they did not have anything that could get past him to get to the twins. He knew they had to have used their chiropterans made from Mary Frances' blood to capture Kanade. The question now was, why didn't they take Hibiki?

~0~

Her short, black hair was accented with bright blue streaks that brought out the brilliant blue of her eyes. She pulled on a pair of spandex leggings that matched her streaks. She pulled the short, black, flared skirt to her waist. She topped the tight shirt with a short baby blue jacket that was very similar to the one Saya wore when she was fighting. The girl strapped on an arsenal of blades before she found her katana in the closet. Hagi had given her one with two blue roses etched into the hilt- a symbol of her mother and her.

The only difference in Kanade's, other than the fact that she never used it, was one rose was red and the other was blue. Kai always tried to hide the swords from the girls, but Hibiki always found them. He hated the idea of them fighting, but there was nothing he could do now.

She grabbed her sister's katana and headed for the stairs. Kanade was in the restaurant when those monsters crashed through the wall. Kai tried to shoot at them, but the bullets just bounced off like they were nothing to them.

Kai was grumbling about how long it was going to take to fix the wall and the restaurant when he caught a glimpse of Hibiki making her way through the rubble. "Just where in the hell do you think you're going?"

"I'm going to get my sister back," she answered matter-of-factly.

"No way," he argued. "Hagi and Lulu are on their way back right now. Let them handle this, they know what they are doing."

She gave him an injured look, "She's my sister!"

Kai stumbled through the piles of rubble to get to her. He then placed his hands on her slender shoulders, "You have to trust that they will get her back."

She gave a strong jerk to her shoulder and pulled away from him, "You wanted us to stay out of this war, Dad! You wanted us to just stay here and be little princesses. Well now the war has come to us… and you want us to sit here while the world crashes down around us!"

She looked up at him like he had said something very stupid. She scoffed and then smirked, "You'll never get it. We have to fight, Dad. Hagi was right about that. We are chiropterans- our blood created this mess and it'll take our blood to clean it up."

"Hibiki… I…" he stammered.

"No, Dad," she told him, "you can't protect us from what we are."

Before he could make another argument, Hibiki was gone. Looking at the piles of rubble, he realized that he had been holding on to them. The girls were going to be 30 next year. Even though they were not really mature chiropterans, they were mature enough to live their own lives.

He sat down on the ground where he found the photograph of him and the girls just before Carrie came into his life. The girls were about 6. Hibiki was on the right, holding her favorite blue teddy bear and Kanade was on the left, holding tightly to his hand. His hair was still fiery red and spiked in every different direction. He wore the usual smirk of a guy that thinks they know it all. He murmured to the image of himself, "The things I would beat into your head, if I could go back in time…"

"Talking to yourself?" a voice asked as the tell-tale signs of crunch- crunch came from the floor covered in rubble. Someone was walking into the torn up restaurant. "Tsk, tsk, tsk! I hate what you've done with the place, Kai…" the man commented before he smirked. "…but then, I never really liked it before."

Kai grimaced as he rose from the floor. A look of rage came to his features before he lunged at the man. "You!" was all he could growl out as he connected a fist to the man's jaw.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15- Battle Lines

Kai rubbed his aching hand as he moved away from the blonde haired man standing in front of him. He was about to speak again when he heard another familiar voice come from the massive hole in the wall that was once the door.

"Nathan."

Kai turned to look and barely caught the flash of something go by him, but he didn't need to see him to know who it was. The two kept disappearing only to reappear in one corner to connect an attack just to disappear again.

"Hold up!" Kai shouted, causing the fight to stop abruptly two feet in front of him. He was shocked at first, but then a bit angry. "I know the place is a wreck, but it's still my home. If you guys wanna rip each other apart- do it outside or something!"

Hagi glared at Nathan who just seemed to be checking his nails. The blonde gave a slight frown. "Uh," he complained, "I think broke my nail." Finally looking up, he informed them, "Anyway, I did not come here to fight."

Kai interrupted, "So how is it that you're alive anyway? I saw your corpse cut in half on the stage at the Met?"

He smirked and shifted his stance, noticing Hagi wasn't relaxing from his fighting stance. "You haven't figured it out yet?" he asked both of them. He mostly noticed that Hagi still held his position and did not give anything away by his facial expression- or lack thereof.

Kai, on the other hand, he expected might have smoke coming from his ears by now. But Kai was the one that answered first, "Your body was there, but not crystallized. So…" Kai thought a moment before he continued, "…that means that you were not really Diva's chevalier."

"Took you a while," Nathan grumbled. He then looked at Hagi and added, "I wonder why you hadn't figured that out."

Hagi simply answered, "I don't care why you live. I just want to know why you are here."

Nathan gave a frown, "Poor Hagi, you can never trust anyone." He then added, "I actually came to see you." He walked up to the chevalier and looked him in the eye, "I am simply shocked that you would have so easily given yourself to a mere human when you could have had Diva- your blood's desire."

Hagi returned the glare and informed him, "My _heart_ did not desire Diva."

"But apparently, your dingaling desired someone else," he shot back. Nathan thought the crude remark would cause Hagi to either attack or look away in guilt, but he did not expect what he did next. He simply turned from Nathan and walked away, admitting or denying nothing.

A blue streak came between the retreating chevalier and the dumbfounded one. Nathan easily grasped the handle of the over sized axe and looked down at the last of the Schiff. "Ah, the little lab-created chiropteran killer," Nathan noticed.

"Lulu," The Schiff corrected. "Why are you here, Nathan?" She snapped the handle, releasing it from Nathan's grasp.

He smirked and answered, "I came to tell you that they still have Mary Frances and to try to keep them from taking Diva's precious daughters." At Kai's expression of mistrust, he commented, "By the way, do you know how Monique got all that juicy information about the facility and what they are up to?"

"Why would you help us?" Hagi asked as he moved closer.

"Because the princesses are Diva's family- her blood and my queen Saya's blood," he explained.

"Your queen Saya?" Kai asked as his eyes cut to Hagi.

Hagi simply waited for an explanation.

Nathan rolled his eyes, "Huh. I thought you read Joel's Diary, Kai- or did you already forget?" Kai's bewildered expression remained. "My Saya is the mummy that your Saya and Diva came from."

"You are her mother's chevalier," Hagi reiterated for Kai's sake.

"Yes," Nathan answered. He then came up behind Hagi and wrapped his arms around Hagi's neck, poking him in the cheek, and added, "That makes _me _the older brother now."

Hagi glared at Nathan as Kai corrected, "More like uncle."

"Oh, I don't think that would be comfortable for Hagi- calling me Uncle Nathan," he teased as he moved away from Hagi.

He then leaned against the wall and said, "You don't need to worry about _my _motives. I'm not Amshel and my only intentions are to please my queen. She wanted me to watch over her daughters. Since one is dead, but her offspring seem to be all over the place, I thought while the other was sleeping I'd keep an eye on them."

He then chuckled, "You are doing a terrible job of keeping this from breaking out into another fine mess like the one Amshel created. If you would get _me _to help, you could get Hagi's little mistake and Kanade back, too."

Kai looked as though he was about to say something along the lines of, "Hell no! Get the hell out of my pub!" and kick Nathan out.

Hagi spoke before he could say anything, "Lulu and I are going to Iceland directly. You may join us and tell us your plan."

Kai looked at Nathan and then Hagi and back again, his eyes growing wider each time. He grabbed Hagi's shoulder and hissed, "Are you nuts? He's on Diva's side. He almost got Saya killed and he'll kill you the first chance he gets."

Hagi's voice remained even as he informed Kai, "He can hear you, Kai. Diva is dead and we have been struggling with these chiropterans for more than a few years. I agree he's untrustworthy. He would be easier to look after in a battlefield fighting chiropterans than here where he can get into Julia's files."

Kai's eyes widened as he got the point. He then nodded and turned back to Nathan, who had his fingers in his ears, pretending that he couldn't hear them. Kai rolled his eyes and asked Hagi, "Are you sure he'll be any use in the battlefield?"

Nathan began to hum a pretty opera tune as he shifted his feet in a dance. Kai snorted as he tried to keep from bursting into laughter. He looked at Hagi, but did not notice the amused gleam in his eyes. He added, "I don't think he would know how to fight. He'll probably be the first one killed."

Hagi only responded in his usual monotone, "Nathan is a chevalier and has been for a very long time. What you see is only what he wants you to see."

Kai smirked and then added, "Like when Hibiki throws a hat on her head to hide either a crazy haircut or new streaks."

Hagi only nodded before he came to the elder chevalier's side. Nathan acted as if he had no idea they were done talking and asked, "Oh, is your meeting over so soon?"

Hagi didn't dignify that with a response. He only moved toward Lulu and continued to walk as she fell in behind him and Nathan followed her. He turned back and blew Kai a kiss.

Kai just did like Hagi would and ignored the flamboyant man. "There they go," he murmured to himself. "A confused and silent knight, a tiny warrior, and the biggest back-stabber in the world; off to save a princess and two queens." He sighed and added, "Good luck, Hagi and Lulu, you're gonna need it."

~0~

Mary Frances was lying on her bed, looking at the ceiling of her cell, bored to tears. She had tried to find a break in the wall, a hole in the floor, anything to lead to freedom. So far, she'd come up empty. There was no way out and she was running out of patience. Why the hell had they kept her anyway?

Her hair was tickling her neck and she was getting sick of it. Because of her chiropteran blood, her hair grew fast and it was now barely touching her shoulders. Because it was so short originally, it was uneven and messy-looking. She scrubbed her head in an effort to move the hair away from that spot that bugged her. "My kingdom for a pair of fucking scissors!" she shouted.

She heard the idiotic chuckles of her guards echo down the hall. She rose from her bed and went to the prison cell door. Her hand went through the bars and displayed a single digit pointing upward. A few choice words from the guards were her answer.

A sudden slam of the door alerted her and the guards that someone was coming. She managed to squeeze enough of her head between the bars to get a glimpse of the guards escorting a girl with long, jet black hair and liquid brown eyes into the holding area.

Mary Frances was stunned by what she saw and sensed, The girl was not putting up a fight, but she could sense her power. "This one is strong," she muttered to herself. "Why don't you fight?" she hissed, knowing the girl would not hear.

When Nathan did visit, which wasn't often, he'd reassure her that he had a plan to free her. Sometimes he would stick around to teach her a few things about herself. One of them was to communicate with other chiropterans with her mind.

It wasn't long before the girl was brought to a cell, 3 cells down from the one Mary Frances currently occupied. Mary Frances sighed as she thought, _"I wish I didn't have to do this."_

She began to concentrate and let the red haze cloud her vision. Her eyes began to glow a vivid red around the brown irises. She felt an immense power pooling under the surface of the girl's skin. It was stronger than that of the chevalier that confronted her that day and the one that visited recently, Nathan. She felt something about that power that meant more than just a princess or chevalier. "She's a queen?" she whispered to herself.

There were three queens she knew of that were alive. One was asleep and two of them were the daughters of the deceased queen, but she didn't know their names. Concentrating harder, she felt the thoughts of the queen and whispered into her mind, _"Saya."_

"_Saya is my aunt,"_ came the telepathic response._ "How are you doing that? I thought only Hibiki and I could do that."_

"_Keep your mouth shut and I'll show you someday. What's your name?" _Mary Frances asked.

"_My name is Kanade. Are you Mary Frances Reyes? Are you really Uncle Hagi's daughter?"_

Mary Frances cringed as a strong mental image of Hagi came to her mind from Kanade's mind. She shook her head and responded, _"So they tell me."_

"_He's coming to rescue us," _Kanade reassured. _"He'd never leave us here like this."_

"_Shit!" _she complained while another mental picture of _that man_ came to her mind._ "Why are you so damn stuck on him? Why can't you get us out?"_

"_I don't believe in violence."_

"_No shit?" _Mary Frances smirked. "_Couldn't tell from the way you came in here."_

"_Sarcasm is the lowest form of wit," _she scolded.

"_No one ever accused me of being a snob, so I'm not worried about being below my calling in life."_

"_Sad way to think about yourself."_

"_I've had a sad life." She then added after a moment, "So, all that power you have stored inside you is just going to lay idle while we rot in this hell-hole?"_

Kanade snorted and answered, _"I don't believe fighting ever solved anything."_

Now it was Mary Frances' turn to snort, _"Well, pretty princess, look around you. In case you haven't noticed, these people are starting a war. They plan on creating horrible monsters by using our blood. They believe in fighting whether you do or not."_

"_My Aunt Saya ended the war 30 years ago and she fought for more than a century just for the war to start back up," _she observed.

Mary Frances was silent for a while, but then she commented, _"In the country I came from, they believe that in order to be free you must continually fight for that freedom. I don't know why you think that sitting on your ass waiting for a knight in shining armor is a better idea than fighting to get out on your own. It's a nice idea to be a pacifist if there is peace around you, but look, there's war around you."_

When no response came, Mary Frances added, _"Look, I don't blame you. I'd love to just go back to LA, hug Daddy Green, climb into my truck and drive off into the sunset, but I've been kidnapped. Our blood is being used to create monsters that will kill everything they see. Think about it: what good is sitting by idly while the world around you is tearing itself apart. How will you feel when there are nothing but dead bodies around you and know it's your fault for not doing anything."_

Kanade folded her arms over her chest and responded, _"That will not happen. Hagi and the Red Shield will stop them before it comes to that."_

Mary Frances growled as a mental image of Hagi came into her mind full force. She broke the kinetic connection with the queen as she just couldn't stand it anymore. "Urgh! I hate that! Why does she have to use him against me?"

She looked through the bars at the guards and then back to the wall before she murmured, "Lovesick… stupid… urgh!"

Hearing the rant, Kanade responded, "Stubborn illegitimate princess!"

Mary Frances groaned, "Oh yeah? At least I'm not in love with someone **I can't have**!" The last three words were shouted. Knowing she struck a nerve, she smirked and added insult to injury, "Just think, if you _were _to get what you want, I'd be your step-daughter."

"Shut up!" she answered with a growl.

The taller woman laughed and added, "…and you'd be my wicked step-mother! The evil queen! And I'd be…" her teasing laugh faltered and she did not finish the insult.

After a moment of flinching at the biting comments, Kanade wondered what had happened to the feisty girl that almost had her calling out curses. A girl that could insult so well wouldn't just stop mid-rant. Deciding to see if she could restart the war of words, she asked, "What happened? Did you suddenly lose your touch?"

"You're not worth bothering with," came the response.

She would've smirked, but she couldn't seem to get past the nagging feeling that the girl had been wounded emotionally. Kanade had a kind heart, but she had just been torn up and just couldn't help one last blow. "You are not much like your father. I wonder if you still look like him."

"Fuck you."

"Hagi never curses," she informed, knowing the other inmate couldn't stand the mere mention of that name.

"FUUUUUUUUCCCKKKKK!" she shouted into the building, causing it to echo around.

That seemed to be the end of the conversation. Both of them did not utter or share even another thought.

Kanade wanted to feel satisfied with herself, but she couldn't shake this feeling of sympathy for the girl. Even though she was rude and very mean, Kanade could feel the sadness and the bitterness that came from the girl. Try as she might, she couldn't break through the mental wall Mary Frances had put up.

"_Something seems odd about her," _Kanade thought. _ "She is just too angry and too sad. It almost seems as if she feels entirely alone." _She then remembered that Mary Frances' mother had died almost two years ago, according to the Red Shield's research. That left Mary Frances alone at the age of 17.

"It must have been hard," Kanade thought aloud. When the person she was referring to did not respond, she explained, "When your mom died, you were all alone. It must have been hard."

Mary Frances ignored the attempts at reconciliation. She was too busy searching her cell for cracks again. When Kanade asked the same question again, Mary Frances decided to change the subject. "Where did you learn to speak English so well?"

Kanade furrowed her brow at the abrupt change and answered, "My dad was in England for a year before he came to the US to help my Aunt Saya in the war. He always stresses that Aunt Saya had a lot of trouble in the US and England because she knew barely enough English to get by. Either he or Hagi would have to help her out by translating. He told me and Hibiki, that's my sister, that we need to learn English if we ever hope to be able to travel to the US."

Mary Frances had found a small crack under the bed. She was busying herself with an idea, but she'd need her fellow prisoner's help. Rolling her eyes, she then took a breath. "This means I'll have to swallow what little pride I have left and try to convince her to help me," she muttered before she channeled her energies to create a mental connection. _"Hey, I have an idea on how to get us out of here."_

"_I'm listening,"_ Kanade responded in her mind. _"Geez, you really need to teach me how to do that."_

"_Yeah, yeah, once we're out, your highness,"_ Mary Frances rolled her eyes again.

Kanade shot back, _"That's not funny. What is your plan, royal jester?"_

"_I need you to distract the guards. You'll need to be loud… really loud. I've found a crack and I think I can punch it hard enough to shatter the floor. I'll cover it with the bed and when the guards get into their stupid poker game tonight, we can start to tunnel our way out," _Mary Frances informed her.

Kanade scowled and asked, _"How does this help me? I'm in a different cell than you."_

"_That's the distraction- you're going to act like a girly-girl that misses her family. Wail like you really think you'll die without them. These guys get all stupid when the women in here get all emotional, they're guys. They'll put us in the same cell just to keep you quiet," _Mary Frances explained. She then added a bit spitefully, _"It's the best thing I got since you're not willing to fight."_

"_I still say that Hagi is coming for us," _she retorted, knowing his daughter was rolling her eyes and cringing at the mere mention of his name. _"But you're right. I won't fight and this is the best way out of here."_

Mary Frances thought for a minute before she ran her fingers through her messy hair. Images of all those innocent people in the world came to her mind, people that meant no harm to anyone. _"Kanade,"_ she asked, knowing the images she was thinking of were being sent to her jail-mate as well, _"if they succeed in using your blood. The world will be worse than those stories of Armageddon. The world will be overrun with monsters that will destroy all living things- people, animals, everything. Can you really live with yourself if we don't get out of here and you still refuse to fight?"  
_

No answer came. Kanade had tears in her eyes as she thought of what her dad had told her about Aunt Saya. It occurred just after their 16th birthdays. _Hagi had given them each a katana. They were similar all the way down to the deep ebony hilts and the channels running through the blades. Only one thing made them each different: hers had a red and blue rose etched beautifully into the hilt, while Hibiki's had two blue roses._

_Hagi insisted that fighting was in their blood. Even if they never had to face a war, the two would have the desire to learn to use the weapons. Hibiki was already trying to use hers, but Kanade offered a fake smile and thanked her uncle, but went back to her room and stuck the sheathed katana in the back of her closet._

_When she went back downstairs, Hagi was teaching Hibiki in the back yard, but Kai was sitting at the bar leaning over a hot cup of tea. A second cup was next to his, in front of the empty bar stool, inviting her to join him. He knew her so well. _

"_Saya fought every day of her life so that the world could be at peace," he explained. "She sacrificed so that no one else would have to fight again. If there ever is a new war, it is something she would not want you two involved in. She wants you both to live out your lives without ever lifting a sword in your hand."_

She was startled from her thoughts as Mary Frances asked, _"Well? What are you waiting for? Get to howling like a hungry baby, your highness!"_

Kanade let out a high, keening wail, causing the guards to roll their eyes and come running. She huddled in the corner in the drab, pale blue gown they put her in. When they arrived, tears were squeezing from her eyes as she cried out even louder. It was then that she felt it more than heard it- a muffled boom.

Within the next few minutes, she was being escorted to Mary Frances' cell. Her breath caught in her throat as she looked upon the very tall young woman in the corner of the cell on the thin bed they called a cot. The waves of messy hair were starting to curl up at the ends. It came just to her jaw line in the front, but a little longer in the back, but it was the color that got to her- black.

She tucked an unruly strand behind her ear as she flipped the rest back and stood to her full height. Aside from her slightly rounder face and brown eyes, she looked nearly exactly like Hagi.


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N Just a reminder: this story is rated M for a reason. This chapter contains a lot of violence and blood mixed with guts. Pretty gross, but it's a war. Rest assured, there will be lemons later for all those who enjoy them, but there is a bit of suggestive stuff in this chapter, but just a very little. **

**BTW, just a shout out to the creator of the Claim a Musician forum on My Anime List. She's just what I invisioned Mary Frances looking like- except I had to darken her hair. Thanks so very much!**

Chapter 16- Blood Rain

Mary Frances smirked, giving Kanade the willies. It was an eerie feeling, seeing a face so similar to her uncle smirk in that way. She almost looked like she could be his evil twin- in female form. Like him, she was tall and lean, but her hips had more of a curve as well as her chest. She was not nearly as endowed as Dr. Julia, not many were, but she was still bigger than Kanade or Hibiki. Knowing the girl was not keen on hearing how much she looked like her father, Kanade covered it with, "You're so tall."

The familiar looking face sputtered a laugh before she scolded, "You can do better than that! I know what you _were _thinking. It's the same thing _everyone _that has met him thinks- I look like him."

"Your eyes are brown and a bit wider than his, your face is rounder…" Kanade began nervously as the younger one glared down at her.

The girl grabbed her chest and interrupted, "…and I have breasts. Yeah, I know. You think I haven't heard it all before? I was surrounded by his fan club in this dump for the past five months and now I get to be around his wanna-be-groupie."

Kanade narrowed her eyes and frowned as she looked up, facing the too familiar face, "I may be in love with him, but my mind does not go there with him."

The girl smirked and she moved back to sit down on her cot. "Oh yeah?" At Kanade's serious expression, she laughed, "Everyone's mind goes there eventually. Don't think you're fooling me."

Kanade simply moved to the cell bars. She needed a breath of fresh air. Taking a breath, she wondered if she really could share a cell with this vulgar person another minute. She rolled her eyes as she heard her companion's voice, "I think you need to end your feelings for him right now, Kanade."

The sympathy in Mary Frances' voice surprised her, causing her to turn. The girl continued as she looked at the wall, "I have caught a glimpse as to what's in his mind one time and hated myself for it ever since. I was hoping to find some memory of my mother- maybe me as a baby. All I found was his mission and a woman that looks a lot like you, but her name is Saya."

"I know," Kanade answered sadly. She looked through the bars and sighed. As much as her heart-break hurt, she realized it was nothing compared to what Mary Frances was feeling. It surrounded the girl like an aura of pain and bitterness. It must have been horrible to look into the soul of your own father to find that he cared nothing of you or your mother- even worse that he never even _thought_ of them.

As quickly as the emotion surrounded the girl, it left and the wall came back up. She opted to stare at the wall and wait for the guards to begin their game.

Kanade looked back at her briefly before turning her gaze away once again. Knowing that Mary Frances had stopped prying into her thoughts, she wondered, _"Who are you, Mary Frances, and why do you hurt so much?"_

~0~

It would be a week before they could get everything in place for the raid. The soldiers were going over the plan with Nathan and David as Hagi and Lulu fought off the onslaught of chiropterans made from the princess' blood. Once in a while, they had to take extra time to fight the brown ones that were more difficult to destroy. They were made from Mary Frances' blood.

Hagi was flanked by two of them, both brown. In a flash, he reappeared, nearly before three daggers landed in the face of the one to his left, blinding it. He was behind the one to his right. With a loud thud, one now had a massive headache from the cello case he had slung through the air. He then impaled it with his claw, drawing one hand forward, he snapped it back to impale the other one in a similar fashion before it connected the attack.

He snapped his arm forward as if throwing a baseball, flinging the huge monster into a line of grayish weaker ones, knocking them over. He pulled out a blade he'd been carrying lately from the sheath attached to his belt. With a swift movement, he sliced the head off the monster under him.

Jumping to his feet, he made quick work of the other unconscious ones.

Lulu was tearing through a line of gray ones easily with a few axe swings. She jumped up and landed on the shoulder of one to see the numbers that were still coming. With a quick jump, she turned a mid-air flip and sliced the monster she was just standing on in half, vertically. She turned to her comrade and informed, "Hagi," she sliced through one and came to his side amid the roar of chiropterans in rage and in pain, "there are hundreds more coming, some are flyers."

Hagi nodded grimly as he made short work of a few gray ones. It was devastating when they found that some of the brown ones could indeed fly. None of the gray ones could and it made them all wonder just how much stronger the red line was. "Keep fighting, Lulu!" he shouted over the roar of battle. "The meeting will be over soon and Nathan and the Red Shield will join us."

Lulu nodded as her mouth formed a thin line. She was getting weaker and knew that Hagi was taking on the brunt of the brown ones to give her a break. _"He should be getting tired soon, too,"_ she thought. She then added, "Hurry up, Nathan."

~0~

The meeting was coming to a close and Nathan was lounging as much as he could in the folding chair he was sitting in. He kept leaning back with his arms folded over his head with the chair standing on its back two legs. He suddenly disappeared, letting the chair fall to the ground with a loud metal clatter.

A few of the leaders in the meeting began to question, causing David to reassure, "He knows that Hagi and Lulu are being overwhelmed and has gone to join the battle. I suggest we do the same."

They all rose from their seats and headed for the entrance to the large mess tent- the place where they conducted their meetings. They all had to rally their units and give them instructions, but that had to wait- they were needed in battle right now.

A general came to David's side as he was loading his gun with a special bullet designed by the Red Shield. It was shaped like a screw and was designed, when fired, to spiral through the air and burrow deep. When it was deep inside, the heat of the chiropteran's body triggered the detonator, causing the bullet itself to explode. The chiropteran's organs would liquefy. The grey one's didn't regenerate very fast, so it gave them time to have Hagi, Lulu or now Nathan to come in and behead the creatures.

It took more than exploding bullets to take down the brown ones though. David had to aim completely straight and hit the heart of each of them just to buy them a few seconds. Another problem was that some of those brown ones had developed iron-like skin. Even Hagi had a lot of difficulty killing those.

The general asked David, "I've been wondering about something, Mr. David. Why is it that these assholes don't try to take the chevaliers to create these monsters?"

David looked at the general briefly before checking his arsenal again. "By now Dr. Smith has found out that a chevalier's blood does not have the capability of producing chiropterans. Julia says it's because they were human males that have been turned into chiropterans. She has discovered through her studies of the remaining blood samples of Diva's chevaliers that there are no chiropteran males. It is why they have to turn human males in order to mate. It's also why there are princesses and no princes. All the princesses have only daughters."

"The species has no males…" the general commented in surprise. "So how do the chevaliers stay male when they are turned? Their blood becomes that of his queen."

David's face remained passive as he answered, "Julia has yet to discover all there is to know about them. All we know is that the chevaliers will not be able to create more chiropterans unless they mate."

They were startled as a gust of errant wind blew past them. David wondered briefly about it, but then busied himself as they came to the battlefield.

~0~

Hagi fought with all he had. They were coming faster and now, the aerial ones had arrived. He was about to transform to battle them in the air, when it suddenly began to rain blood and entrails over them. Lulu shouted over the noise, "What is that?"

Hagi growled, "They have fed." This meant that a nearby village must have been decimated and the beasts had feasted on the victims. Wings sprouted from Hagi's back, causing a spray for blood to scatter from his jacket. Maybe they had taken a city instead from the look of the amount of blood.

Lulu shielded her eyes from the drenching blood rain that fell and watched the chevalier begin to battle the first wave in mid-air. A chiropteran in front of her gave a low growl. She sighed as she went back to her task.

She beheaded yet another of the grey monsters as five more were crowding in. Lulu looked to the sky briefly to find Hagi was surrounded by three of the aerial monsters. Her eyes widened as she wondered what was going to happen to her when a flash of blue came by her and sliced through the five as if they were one.

The creature stopped briefly to check on his now rescued damsel. It had an elongated head and arms like a preying mantis only longer. Those arms were thin, but strong and had razor sharp small barbs along the sides. Small claws ended the arms that caught their prey. The creature's legs were strong and designed to jump into the air.

"Nathan," Lulu breathed as she was completely awestruck. With a couple of swings with those long arms, he was slicing through the grey monsters as if they were made of melted butter. The small barbs on his arms acted like the serrated blade of a sword. His elongated head looked to the sky and he immediately lept into the air and reduced the aerial chiropterans to pieces and more blood rained down on Lulu and the chiropterans she was left to fight.

Another surprise came in a gust of wind and blue streak. From Lulu's vantage, it looked to be a blue figure with a blade of silver slicing arcs of blood through the air as it mowed down a few lines of chiropterans grey and brown. The figure finally skidded top a stop, spraying a wake of blood from the ground that was soaked in about an inch already.

Blood now spattered her face and her clothes, but her brilliant blue eyes were glowing and aqua in color. Her face looked like Saya's when she was in battle- determined and angry. As more chiropterans closed in, Hibiki smiled menacingly, "I've always wanted to try this." Her thumb found the part of her blade that loaded the katana with her blood. She watched with a sickening satisfaction as her own blood filled the channels and grooves of the sword.

With a loud battle cry, she launched herself into the air and ran on feet that barely touched the ground. Her target was one of the brown chiropterans. She had never battled these before and was eager to try her metal, perhaps a bit too eager. She had not thought the creature would be smart enough to dodge the attack. Her sword only nicked the armor skin and her blood had not penetrated. She stumbled from the effort and came down in a large puddle of blood. The spray from her splash coated the nearby chiropterans that closed in on her.

"Hibiki!" Lulu shouted as she made her way through her own battle.

Hagi had felt his niece was on the battlefield and knew she was in trouble- she had never actually battled before. It was true that they sparred before, but she never fought in a real battle.

He slammed his claw through the chiropteran that was attacking him and allowed his wings to droop, causing him and his impaled victim to speed toward the ground. He pulled the victim behind him in a full dive toward the ground. Just as he was about close enough to count each blade of grass below him, he spread his wings, catching an air current and using the momentum to slam his prey into the ground with a loud boom. The result was a crater about 15 feet in diameter and a smashed-to-bits monster.

Hagi soared toward Hibiki only to find Nathan had slain all the chiropterans around her and reached out his arm to help the queen to her feet. By then, they heard the tell-tale booms of the artillery shells and grenades the Red Shield used to blow the monsters to bits with.

They were all tired and the battle front had moved to where the Red Shield was fighting. Hagi landed and looked off into the distance to where the facility was. More chiropterans were pouring from it. When will this war end?

Hibiki groaned as she tried to shake off some of the blood that had flattened her short hair against her head and coated her all the way to her feet.

They began to walk together back to camp as Nathan took off toward the next battle. Hagi and Lulu had been fighting all morning, noon, and almost into evening. They needed a break and Hibiki needed to regroup from her first failed attempt.

"You did good for your first try," Lulu encouraged the blood soaked queen.

Hibiki gave a small smile and replied, "Thanks, but I think I wasn't much help." Grabbing her own sore shoulder, she noticed a piece of intestine there and added, "And now I'm completely gross! Please tell me there's a place to completely submerge myself."

Lulu giggled and informed, "There's a shower at back at base. I'll show it to you." She then noticed she how sticky it was and that it was squishing in her shoes, too. "Ew! I'm pretty gross too… and to think that we eat this stuff to survive."

Hibiki smiled again and commented, "I guess that means we were just in the biggest food fight ever."

At this, Lulu began to laugh really hard and Hibiki couldn't help but join in with laughter, even after her own failure. Hagi placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder and added, "With time and practice, you will become better."

She looked up into his blue eyes and smiled at him for the first time in a long time. "Thanks, Uncle Hagi," she responded. She still was upset with him for betraying Saya and then trying to lie about it, but she was grateful for all he had done for her and Kanade.

"You're welcome," replied as they made their way to the showers.

~0~

Later that night, Hibiki contacted Kai and informed him where she was and what had happened. He insisted on her return home and even forced her to give Hagi the ultimate decision.

"No, Kai," Hagi responded in his flat monotone.

"What the hell, Hagi?" Kai shouted into the phone. "You know she has no business there. She's never fought! When she gets herself killed… How am I supposed to explain that to Saya?"

"Kai," Hagi reasoned in a calming manner, "if she were to be sent back to you, how long do you think you could hold her there? You know that no matter what anyone says, Hibiki will find a way to get back to Iceland."

Hibiki rolled her eyes and gave an exasperated sigh as she heard Kai rant even louder into the phone, "If you don't send her back on the first plane out of there, I'M COMING TO GET HER!"

A loud disconnection was heard as Hagi handed the phone back to the young blue-eyed queen. "Stupid Kai," she muttered, "he still thinks he can help somehow."

Hagi gave her a serious look and said, "Your father is only trying to help. He's worried about you."

She took a breath and closed her eyes as she leaned against a support pole inside the mess tent. The drab green all around her made her eyes and hair streaks seem to stand out more than usual. Glancing back at Hagi, she asked, "When is he going to realize that I am 29 years old? I can take care of myself." She folded her arms over her chest, looking dejected.

Hagi just continued to look at her in his quiet way, making her think she had made her point. He finally spoke in a quiet, soothing tone, "First of all, you may be 29 years old, but comparing that to the number of years that you have yet to live, you are but a child. Kai knows that you are still young."

She glared at him and grumbled, "I thought you understood."

He turned his gaze toward the entry way and watched as the soldiers came in from the battle. The soldiers were eating and talking in excited tones about the fighting and the explosions. He finally said, "I only side with whatever is best for Saya- you and Kanade to a lesser extent. You know that." Regarding the way the soldiers were popping off at one another and playfully hitting each other he added, "Perhaps you might try to act more mature than your recent behavior. If you act like a child, he will treat you like one."

He eyes narrowed and as her fists clenched. She growled, "How dare you! I came to here to rescue Kanade! I…"

Hagi calmly responded, "You dropped out of school, have a blatant disregard for your father's rules, wear clothes he does not find respectable, dye your hair without consent or regard for the knowledge that you won't find a job because of it, and you are about to throw a tantrum like a child."

She grasped his collar, pulling him down to her level and glared into his eyes, "I came to save Kanade and to help in the fight."

Hagi simply plucked her hands from his collar with little resistance. Her recent loss in battle had made her weak and she needed a transfusion as well as a good meal. "You had no permission to come here and you lack the proper experience. My position is to protect you, not to make you happy."

Hibiki stormed out of the tent in a red-faced rage. She knew he was right, but she didn't want to agree to it at all. She looked across the field that was absorbing the blood of the fallen enemy. It looked like a sea of red in front of the distant mountains. One of those mountains drew her attention. It was where her sister was, she could feel it.

"Screw it!" she growled and began to take off. She was startled when a striking face came into her path. She had to skid to a stop mere millimeters from the man. She gave a startled gasp.

"Go back to the camp," a beautiful French accent commanded her.

"But they don't want me here," she responded as she tried to suck back the frustrated tears that threatened. "I can't fight, I can't save my sister… I can't even sneak out of camp without getting caught." Tears leaked past her hands as they tried to dash them all away.

"I will help you, but you must go back," the man told her. "If you are captured by that damn facility, we would be screwed!"

She finally looked up at the man. He had black hair slicked down to his head. From the look of his clothes, she guessed he had just come from the battlefield and the reason his hair was slicked down was from the blood. He was about the same height as Kai and he had the most genuine smile she had ever seen. "Come on," he comforted as he placed a hand on her shoulder and led her back to camp.

After a quiet moment, Hibiki informed him, "My name is Hibiki. What's yours?"

He gave one of his dazzling smiles as he wiped a hand over his forehead. "My name is Raoul Carter. I have been working with the Red Shield Intelligence division for the past 3 years. I asked if I could join the fight, hoping to see something other than a computer lab."

"So, are you enjoying the sights so far?" she joked, motioning to his shirt.

He stopped and looked into her brilliant blue eyes. He had never seen eyes so blue. Keeping the dazzling smile on his face, he responded, "I am now."

She was startled at the sweet flirtation, but there was a wild reaction inside her that drew her to him like a moth to a flame. She smiled and looked away shyly to hide the blush that spread over her face. "Thank you." _"What is wrong with me?" _she asked herself. _"I'm acting like some stupid kid with a stupid crush."_

They began to walk again. As they neared the camp, she looked up and noticed he took her hand in his and kissed it before departing. He called after her, "I hope to see you again soon, Hibiki."

She wandered back to the tent she and Lulu would be sharing and responded in a very low voice, "I hope so."


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N Okay, I'm posting this a bit early because I can't wait- Mary Frances has some really cool eyes! More violence in this one and a bit of fun, too. Please enjoy. Please leave a review. LOVE YA!**

Chapter 17- Rescue Mission

Kanade was walking through a misty forest, searching the shapes that seemed to surround her. She would move close to one only to find it was another tree. She called out a name she couldn't recognize at first as she felt panic begin to rise inside her chest. Her hand moved to her chest as she felt as if her heart would pound clear out of her chest. She felt so alone and she wasn't used to being alone.

She scowled as she looked through the mist at her hand that was on her chest. It moved over the frilly lacy material that covered her chest and neck with ribbons and lace. Her gaze moved over the rest of herself. Her eyes moved down her body further and further, the bodice was rose petal pink with seams of lace and red ribbons. The blasted thing went all the way to the ground! All she could seem to think about what Joel being cross with her for the dirty hem. "_Why should Joel care?" _she wondered. _"He's in France."_

She cried out again, realizing she had gone too far this time. It was just another of her games, but this time it had gone terribly wrong and she was lost. _"Why am I so worried?" _she reasoned. _"The fog will clear in a while, by noon it'll be gone and I can find my way out of here."_

She found a tall, slender shape in the fog and called out in a loud voice, "Hagi!" All she heard was the eerie echo of her own voice calling his name as tears streamed down her cheeks.

Kanade saw images of the man who was her uncle, but he was wearing a high necked collar with a ribbon around it. His hair was loose around his shoulders and he wore an easy smile. This was not the Hagi she knew; it was the one from the photograph at Omoro. Memories that were not her own flashed into her mind of a young boy that grew up before her eyes.

She came to that shape in the fog only to find yet another tree. "HAGI!" her voice screamed as she fell to her knees and cried her heart out. He was her companion and he always knew where to find her. Where was he?

Kanade realized this was not her dream. It was one of Saya's memories. She could feel the feelings Saya had felt of utter despair. Without Hagi, she was completely lonely and utterly lost. She was madly in love with him, even back then, and didn't even know it.

The fog was beginning to lift and Saya could now hear Hagi calling to her. Kanade couldn't see through the veil of tears she was crying as she felt Hagi's arms encircle her. His smile was only for Saya, his embrace was only for Saya, his heart was only for Saya.

Kanade awoke with tears spilling down her face and sobs tearing at her throat. She was startled by a pair of brown eyes staring at her. She growled at her cellmate, "Don't you ever sleep?"

The girl pulled herself up the rest of the way from the hole. She was covered in dirt all the way to her waves of black hair. "Nope," she responded, "My mom says I've been an insomniac since I was a baby. I'll only sleep if I've been stressed or overworked… sometimes from sex- if it's really good."

Kanade sneered at the thought of someone wanting to have sex with the girl. She was beautiful, but so vulgar and inappropriate. "Urgh," she commented, "Too much information."

She snorted, "Oh no, please tell me you're not a 30-year-old virgin!"

"No!" Kanade retorted with a red face. "Not that it's any of your business, but I'm not."

"That's a good thing since I was going to have to tease you a lot more if you were," she smirked.

Kanade rolled her eyes as she muttered, "Please don't let my dad find out," not realizing that Mary Frances had heard her.

"You mean your _dad _would be upset if his 30-year-old daughter wasn't a virgin?" she asked in disbelief.

"29," she corrected. "I'm not married," she grumbled.

As Mary Frances moved the bed back over the hole, she responded, "Neither am I, but that never stopped me- never stopped any that were either."

"Can we please change this topic?" she asked as she was completely red and looking quite embarrassed.

After the bed was back to its original position, Mary Frances said, "Fine, what do you want to talk about?" She then cringed and added, "Just please don't talk about _him_."

Understanding the reason that Mary Frances was uncomfortable talking about him, she then asked, "Well, what do you want to talk about?"

"Why were you a weepy little mess when I…" she began and then motioned below her bed to finish the sentence so the guards wouldn't hear.

"You don't want to talk about that. It has to do with _him._"

She nodded and then mentioned, "I can tell you about…" Her eyes cut to the floor.

Kanade nodded and looked at her expectantly. She whispered, "Will you show me how you can hear my thoughts?"

Mary Frances gave a wry smile and nodded before she whispered, "You have to concentrate on the person you want to talk to, close your eyes, and see yourself walking toward them. Once you can see their image in your mind, walk _into_ them."

Kanade and Mary Frances opened their eyes at the same time. Kanade's were glowing a brilliant blood red color, causing Mary Frances to nearly break the connection as she fell off the bed.

Kanade was nearly as shocked at Mary Frances' eyes. They were still brown, but a circle around the iris was glowing brilliant blue on the right eye and on the left, blood red. Both regained their composure and began to communicate.

"_I think I've found a storage place where they keep weapons," _Mary Frances informed._ The tunnel came out in this small room where there's a bunch of guns, bullets, and all kinds of explosives."_

"_Oh no," _Kanade responded as she threw her hands up,_ "I'm not going to kill anyone. Don't even think I'm going to leave that way."_

"_I didn't ask you to use any of the weapons, your highness. I'm just saying that we'll have to go through there to get out," _she reasoned.

Kanade's lips thinned as she thought about it. They had been working at that tunnel for nearly a week and she knew that they had to get out soon. The doctor was becoming impatient to draw some blood from her and she knew what that would mean to the world. She nodded quickly as she felt a presence coming down the hall toward the cell.

Their eyes became a normal brown color as they footsteps neared. They both looked up in time to see breakfast. Relieved, Kanade and Mary Frances took the plates. The queen noticed that nearly all the food was set in front of her while Mary Frances looked out the cell bars, munching on a small smoked fish. Between bites she asked the girl, "Aren't you eating?"

"I don't eat much," she answered. "I never have."

~0~

Nathan came up to the group of commanding officers and David as they went over he plans once more with Hagi and Lulu. Today they would storm the facility, get Mary Frances and Kanade, and blow the place to kingdom come.

Hagi, Lulu, Nathan, and Hibiki were to take on the chiropterans and make a path for the Red Shield and the US Marines to break into the facility and take out everything they could while rescuing the targets.

Hagi didn't wait for a signal, he was off in a flash followed by Lulu. Nathan smirked and called out, "Showtime!" before he transformed and leapt after them. Hibiki gave one long, last look to Raoul who gave her a dazzling smile before she disappeared.

They had become very close over the past week. She was not one to easily fall for someone, but it seemed she had known him forever. His beautiful green eyes burned into her memory as she remembered running her hands through the short waves of dark brown hair.

She could hardly wait for this war to end. She wanted him to come with her, back to Okinawa to stay with them, even if it was only for a while. Kai would absolutely hate it, but that was nothing new, Kai overreacted a lot of the time.

Just like that, they were in the heat of the battle. Chiropterans were everywhere. Hagi and Nathan took on the brunt of them. Lulu put the finishing touches on the ones that fell and the ones that were missed, but it wasn't long before Hibiki had to fight a few that were missed or managed to escape Hagi and Nathan.

The team battled as they were followed by the front assault team led by David. They were to directly approach the facility and break in the main door. Other operatives accompanied the Marines in breaking in by bombing the side of the mountain and entering the third floor. That was where the main offices for Argiano and Smith were.

As Hagi reached the entrance, he looked over to see Nathan standing against the wall of the facility, dead chiropterans all around. He was still in his true form and asked in a deep chiropteran voice, "What kept you, Hagi?"

Three daggers sailed past the chevalier. He turned to see a chiropteran howl in pain that, a moment ago, was going to attack him. Hagi said nothing as he was about to fight off another that came toward them.

"Thanks," Nathan muttered. "You're getting faster, Hagi."

Suddenly, there was the sound of a mob of people screaming their victory as they entered the facility. The operatives began to tear through the place looking for the targets.

~0~

Kanade crawled after her companion in the narrow tunnel. It was dark and creepy, but they were getting out. Mary Frances had collapsed the tunnel behind them, just in case they were followed. They had been crawling for nearly an hour and Kanade was getting tired of dirt and darkness.

It seemed as if Mary Frances had disappeared momentarily, but soon Kanade felt a hand grip hers and pull her from the tunnel. The place smelled strongly of gun powder, dust, and wood. It was pitch black and Kanade couldn't see her hand in front of her face. Her voice seemed to echo in the small place, "Where are we?"

"The ammunition shed," she answered as she turned and Kanade was nearly frightened to death at the weird red and blue glowing rings that were her irises.

"Well?" Kanade asked. "How do we get out?"

Mary Frances pressed against a door she found and tried the handle, it was locked, of course. "Damn… locked," she muttered as she began to rummage around.

Kanade nearly cried out, "Locked? You mean to tell me that we tunneled our way out to just get stuck in an ammunition shed!"

"Pipe down, queeny," she grumbled as she ran her hands along the wall. She had felt a tool chest earlier near this wall. "Ow!" she cried as she felt her foot hit the edge of the tool chest. She gave out an exasperated sigh and commanded, "Get over here Kanande." She then elaborated, "I need your eyes."

"What?" Kanade retorted, "I thought you had great vision."

"Yeah, when I have light," she responded, rolling her eyes. "Just concentrate on making a mental connection- I don't care with who."

Kanade nodded and began to think of someone who she wanted to contact and wondered if she could even connect with her from this distance. Her eyes glowed red, illuminating the shed in a dull red glow. It was indeed very make-shift and they realized it was not day, but night. Mary Frances busied herself with the tool chest as Kanade communicated with her connection.

"_Do you hear me?"_ she asked in her mind.

Hibiki signaled to Lulu to cover her and looked rather surprised as she stood perfectly still. The moon was just beyond the mountain as she responded, _"I hear you sister. How are you doing that? Where are you?"_

"_I am… I don't really know,"_ she answered._ "Mary Frances and I have escaped to some kind of ammunition storage in the facility."_

Hibiki's brow furrowed as she racked her brain over the map that had been made. There was no ammunition storage shed in the facility. Why would they need one when they were manufacturing chiropterans to do the fighting? _"Kanade, there is no storage shed in the facility."_

"_There's not?"_ she asked as she watched her companion begin to remove the pins in the hinges of the door with a flat-head screwdriver and a hammer. _"Well, we're here in it so it must exist. The door is locked from the outside so we're removing the hinges."_

Hibiki's eyes were glowing blue as Lulu came to her side and asked, "What's wrong, Hibiki?"

Nathan had arrived and taken a place next to Lulu, watching with a keen interest. He couldn't connect into this one, it was a connection done between sister queens and he knew not to interfere.

Hibiki repeated what her sister said in a monotone voice, "She and Mary Frances have escaped to an ammunition storage shed. They are removing the hinges to get out."

Nathan looked around thoughtfully at the information as Lulu questioned, "How is there a storage shed in the facility?" She then turned and went after a chiropteran that was about to attack Hagi.

Knowing that Nathan could sense the presences, she asked, "So where are they?" Nathan's chiropteran form was something she had become accustomed to over the years of sparring with him in secret. She got her answer when the chevalier took off in a mighty leap, leaving behind a blue streak of light. Hibiki glanced back to make certain Lulu knew where they were heading before she took off after him.

~0~

"So," Mary Frances began as she pulled out another pin, "who'd you contact?"

"My sister," she responded as she tried to push the door. It wouldn't budge. "I think she's here- somewhere nearby."

Mary Frances rammed her shoulder into the door and noticed the same thing Kanade had, it wouldn't budge. "Shit!" Mary Frances exclaimed before she ran a hand through her hair in frustration. She sighed before she informed Kanade, "This shed doesn't belong to Fimm Örvar or the Red Shield, it's too old. The door has been rotted shut."

Kanade looked at the wall, her eyes still glowing. "So what do we do?"

Mary Frances looked back and asked, "You don't happen to have a match or a lighter on you?"

Kanade decided to use her own sarcasm against the princess. She patted her sides over the thin, shapeless hospital gown and answered, "Nah, I seem to have left them in my other suit."

She gave a wry smile and responded, "I thought sarcasm was the lowest form of wit, your highness."

"In my current situation, I don't think I can get much lower," she retorted as she gave a smirk. "Do you think we could kick the door out?"

"I thought you didn't believe in violence?"

"Shut-up and get by this door," Kanade spat as she rolled her eyes. "I just want to get out of here."

Still holding the screwdriver in her hand, Mary Frances began to count as the two prepared to kick the door as hard as they could. "One… TWO… THR…"

Just as they were about to kick, they were thrown down by the force of the door shattering before them. Kanade was covered in small boards and debris, but Mary Frances ignored whatever was covering her, she saw something that made her blood run cold.

The creature had an elongated head on top of the body of a giant, silver-colored preying mantis that glowed in the moonlight. Its red eyes glowed as it towered over the two girls and it looked as if it would attack.

Mary Frances gasped and then shouted, "Oh shit! It's one of those monsters!"

Kanade screamed from behind her, causing Mary Frances' eyes to glance back to her companion. She was getting up as Mary Frances looked back at the chiropteran. _"It's a grey one,"_ she realized. _The only color that came from my blood are brown ones." _ Her eyes moved down to the screwdriver she was holding defensively in front of her self as she blocked the red queen.

An idea popped into her mind and she was off in a flash. She turned and jabbed the screwdriver into Kanade's arm, causing her to cry out. "Sorry, your highness," she joked as she pulled the screwdriver from the queen and turned to the beast. Her spinning kick surprised the grey monster, he had no idea she knew how to fight. As it began to rise again, she plunged the screwdriver straight into the chiropteran's heart. She growled triumphantly as she stood to her full height, "You got served, asshole!"

"Nathan!" a voice called out. In a flash, Mary Frances was on her back with a pair of brilliant blue eyes blazing into hers. "What do you think you're doing?" she screamed at Mary Frances.

She scoffed at the angry blue queen, "I'm trying to save us from that monster."

The creature healed instantly and then sat up. In a deep, unearthly voice he soothed, "It's alright, Hibiki. Only a red queen from my queen's generation can kill me."

"Nathan?" Mary Frances asked as she came to her feet, Kanade not far behind. "The same Nathan that visited us in the facility?"

"One and the same," he sang out in that unearthly voice as he extended his preying mantis arms dramatically.

Mary Frances rolled her eyes as she noticed Kanade gasp in horror before she fainted. "I don't believe this," Mary Frances muttered. She headed toward the incapacitated red queen.

Nathan stilled her as he stooped to pick up the red queen. "You really shouldn't bend down in that outfit. Everyone will see _everything._"

Mary Frances gave a smirk and responded, "That's okay, most everyone already has."

Nathan sputtered a creepy laugh as he thought, _"I think she and I just might get along really well."_

Hibiki sent a message on her cell phone to David that they had Kanade and Mary Frances and were heading back to base. David responded that they would now blow up the facility.

They walked together with Hibiki toward the mountain where their base camp was as Nathan asked, "How did you end up in that shed?"

"We tunneled out," Mary Frances answered him. "I wonder how that place ended up being just where we needed it."

Nathan answered, "It was just a shed before, but the Red Shield decided to use it to store extra weapons. I heard the general discussing it as a back up plan- in case soldiers ran out of ammo."

"Lucky," she murmured, "that's a word I would have never used to describe myself until today."

As thy came closer to the battle, the heard a giant boom before a cloud of ash and fire rose into the night sky, outlining a tall, dark figure with wings flying toward them and a flash of lavender hair on the ground.

"Here comes your dad," Hibiki informed, causing Mary Frances to groan.

It wasn't long before the party of four was joined by Lulu and Hagi. Mary Frances immediately recognized the girl and came to her. "You are the Schiff that was in the facility… Lala?"

"No, Lulu," the lavender hair girl corrected with a smile. "I'm so glad you and Kanade got out."

"Thanks," she responded. Her eyes cut to the tall man dressed in a black suit splattered in blood. He had already retracted his wings. She then turned her gaze to where they were going.

~0~

Kanade was receiving a transfusion in the tent she, Hibiki, Lulu, and Mary Frances were to share. Mary Frances had just returned from a shower and dressed in the army pants and t-shirt one of the Marines was nice enough to loan her. Kanade would wear some of Hibiki's clothes as soon as she showered. Her hair was now cropped short again and spiking from her head. Her skin gleamed bluish white in the moonlight.

Hibiki opened the tent flap and called gently, "Is she awake yet?"

Mary Frances looked over at the girl that was resting peacefully and responded, "No. But I'm sure she'd like it if you sat with her." Noticing the blue streaks in the dark haired girl's style and added, "I like your streaks."

"Thanks," she responded, "my dad hates them."

They both turned their eyes to the bed where Kanade was resting. She rubbed her eyes as she began to rise from the bed. Hibiki stilled her and mentioned, "There's an IV in your arm, Kanade."

Knowing the IV was nearly finished, she pulled the needle from her arm. Her stomach rumbled in protest, causing her cheeks to redden. "Do you think I could get something to eat? I'm starved."

Mary Frances looked at the sisters and gave them a small, cheerless smile. "Family," she grumbled. "Anyway, I'm gonna go check things out around camp. Enjoy your breakfast." Before either could reply, the princess was gone.

The sister queens moved to the entrance of the tent, hoping to catch a glimpse of her very tall form walking through the camp, but she was long gone. "She's an odd one," Hibiki observed.

Kanade continued to look on the edge of the camp at the beautiful sunrise. Her brow furrowed slightly as she explained, "She's really sad. I know she grew up around a bunch of people, but she still seems so lonely."

Hibiki nodded. "She seems to be angry at Uncle Hagi." Her eyes fell on the same sunrise as her sister.

Kanande looked down, "She hates him." When Hibiki looked at her sister, she explained, "She knows that he was aware that having an affair with a human woman would bring forth a child and he _never_ once came to check on his ex-lover, her mother."

Kanade continued sadly, "She's the one that taught me how to make the mental connection. She admitted she tried to do the same with Uncle Hagi and she found that not only did he not have any feelings for her or her mother, he never even _thought_ of them."

Hibiki looked down now. She couldn't begin to imagine Mary Frances' pain. "I wonder if she's decided to go back to the states and pretend this never happened. That's what I would do."

Kanade shook her head. "I told her that she should at least stick around to meet with Dr. Julia and get some answers."

Hibiki nodded and then said, "We should get some food in ourselves. By the way, I met someone."

Kanade looked at her before she gave a laugh, "Trust you, sister, to find someone you like in the middle of a war."


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N Hey everyone! It's a double update!** **I did this because Chapters 17 and 18 go together so well and because... well just because. Enjoy! By the way- Big shout out to Cookie Chip for being the 20th review!  
**

Chapter 18- The Best Laid Plans

Mary Frances had returned after everyone had gone to sleep the next night. She was a bit surprised to see Hagi standing watch near the tent of the two queens and Lulu. They had told her to come to the tent, but she had to move around a bit. Being stuck in nothing but a cold cell for the past 5 months had given her a greater appreciation for the freedom she once had.

She opted to find something else to fix her eyes on as she walked past the silent sentinel at the tent's entrance. It didn't surprise her that he said nothing as she entered the tent. In her eyes he had no right to anyway. Thanks to him, she had grown up without a father and was now an adult. What right did he have coming into her life now?

Hagi's eyes never moved, but he saw the girl come to the tent and enter, avoiding looking his direction even once. He wondered what the girl was thinking, going off by herself. Argiano and Smith had not been found in the raid. She could have been taken again. One thing was certain to him- she had no regard for herself or others.

The chevalier felt the sweet childish presence of Lulu come toward him. Even if he never showed it on the outside, he felt her presence was refreshing in the dismal, blood drenched place. Everything seemed to have a negative vibe toward him, especially Mary Frances. She seemed to exude hatred and anger and he had no idea why.

"Hagi," Lulu sighed as she leaned against the jeep nearby, "it really is a beautiful night."

The chevalier was silent and fixed his gaze on the tent opposite them. His gaze never shifted, even once, to the huge, pale blue, full moon that hung in a sky of deep blue velvet.

"You know, on nights like this, Ghee would simply lay on a tree branch and stare at the moon. She always said it brought her some comfort. It was kind of like something that watches over us all no matter where we are."

She looked up at the chevalier, knowing his thoughts were not on the moon or even her. His thoughts were always on Saya. She pursed her lips before she spoke, "It watches over her in her sleep, too."

"Yes," was all he muttered as an errant lock of hair fell down the center of his face, curling up along the side of his nose, but he did nothing to move it.

She took a deep breath and asked, "Do you remember that night after Saya was taken by Solomon? When you brought her back, she almost instantly went to bed. I asked you a question about what it was like to dream."

His steel-blue eyes turned to her.

"You said that sometimes your dreams can become nightmares," she recalled. When he didn't respond, she continued. "I think…" she took a breath to steel her nerves, "…I think… Mary Frances has been living a nightmare and can't seem to wake up."

His eyes narrowed.

"Look Hagi, I don't know what's wrong with her, but I can tell it in her eyes. She's got this huge brick wall around herself and won't let anyone in- a lot like you," she confided as she turned to him. "I know two things: one, she's lying about her age; two, she's angry and bitter toward you. All I can guess from this is that she's a lot like Karman was. They both feel that if they let their guard down, they'll get hurt."

"She's a lot like Ghee, too. Ghee always thought that no one would help us or even be friends with us. Mary Frances is like that. She thinks she's all alone in the world and doesn't realize she's miserable."

Hagi responded lowly, "That is not my concern."

"Yes it is!" Lulu argued. "Moses and Karman told me that she's hiding a secret that could destroy you and Saya. Hagi, you have to find out what she's hiding."

"Lulu," Hagi responded, "Mary Frances will return to LA and we will find Argiano and Smith. It will be over and Saya will never know."

Lulu fixed a stern gaze on the man she thought of as a mentor. "What's wrong with you? The Hagi _I_ know wouldn't run from this, he'd face it head on." A gust of wind passed by, leaving Lulu standing there alone.

~0~

Morning came and found the queens and the remaining princess rising to the morning sun. Mary Frances was pulling on the t-shirt and army pants she wore yesterday. Facing the dingy, small mirror on a support pole in the tent, she looked over her earrings and hair. Feeling that Kanade and Hibiki were now awake, she commented, "I sure missed having my hair cut. I can't wait to get home. Daddy Green's probably pissed that I disappeared."

Kanade looked questioningly at Hibiki, who returned the look. They both looked at Mary Frances and asked, "I thought you were coming back with us to Okinawa."

Mary Frances froze and stared at them. After a moment, she asked, "Freaky twin thing- you guys saying stuff at the same time?"

Ignoring the comment, Hibiki jumped from the bed and informed her, "Dr. Julia has to examine you first."

Kanade chimed in as she brushed her hair, "Yeah, and she'll want to do another DNA test."

Mary Frances glared at them before responded, "Like hell I'm going anywhere but home. I have been in this crazy country more than 5 months and now you want me to come with you and… and… Lurch out there!"

"Lurch?" both froze simultaneously and asked. They looked at each other wondering the same thing, _"What is a Lurch?"_

Mary Frances rolled her eyes, "You know, the butler on the show The Addam's Family? He doesn't look as ugly, but he acts just like him.

Both girls scrunched their brows and shrugged.

"Never seen it, huh?" she asked and then rolled her eyes as she gathered some things. "Ah well, I'm not going to teach you about American classics." She stuffed some things in a small bag and headed for the door hurriedly.

"Where are you going," the twin with the blue streaks asked.

"I'm outta here!" she smiled back as she exited the tent. "Smell you later."

She was halfway across the camp when she was stopped by the lavender haired girl. She had been helping a man that was dressed very smartly in a brown designer suit from a jeep and into his wheelchair. He had graying sideburns among the straight brown hair and a few lines around his mouth.

"Hey, where are you going?" Lulu asked as she stood in front of the tall girl, preventing her from leaving. Brown suit man was wheeling himself up to Lulu.

She shifted anxiously to her other foot and held the strap of the bag on her shoulder, "I'm going home." She brushed past them and began to walk out of camp.

Lulu's small arm stopped her, "You have to stay for the meeting. Once it's over, they'll give you a way to get home, but Mr. David insists we all have to attend."

Mary Frances exhaled her exasperation before she began her tirade and dropped her bag. She outstretched her arms dramatically, "What the fuck! I may as well fucking stick around while I've been away from my business, my apartment, my truck, and my _family_ for about half a fucking year!"

"Stop saying 'fuck'!" Lulu shouted before she covered her own mouth with her hands dramatically as her eyes widened so much they looked like they would take over her head. She turned to the man in the wheelchair and muttered, "Sorry."

The man gave an honest smile and nodded toward Lulu as Mary Frances looked at the two expectantly.

"This is Joel Goldschmidt VI," Lulu informed the rude princess. "He's the CEO of the Red Shield- a guy you should show some respect to." The last part was hissed through clenched teeth.

"It's perfectly alright, Lulu," Joel reassured and then offered his hand to the princess. He addressed her, "You must be Mary Frances Reyes. It is a pleasure to meet you."

She smirked as she shook his hand. He then began to speak to her about pleasantries and before she knew it, she agreed to stay for the meeting. His nurturing behavior made her feel comfortable. Besides, he was the first one that didn't look at her as if she was a freak copy of Lurch.

~0~

Despite all their efforts to keep Kai calm and reassure him that his daughters were alright, he still showed up that morning. He appeared unshaven and dirty wearing a very worried look. He was given a ride from one of the officers to the base camp.

Mary Frances was standing near the mess tent, bumming a cigarette from a soldier when the jeep drove up with an obviously worried man on board. The red and grey haired man looked awful as he jumped from the jeep before it even stopped. The twins ran to him and they fell to the ground in a three-way embrace. The girls were reduced to weeping messes as the man offered reassuring words.

Mary Frances took a drag off her bummed cigarette and rolled her eyes at the scene, while inside her heart ached. She saw Hagi off in the distance watching the same scene unfold. She rolled her eyes again as the porcupine exterior came back up. She knew he could hear her comment to him, "Don't even think about it, asshole."

The girls found her with face-splitting grins as they dragged their old man to her. Hibiki wiped the tears from her eyes as she extended her hand to the princess. "Dad, this is Mary Frances Reyes." She gave a small smile and extended her hand. "Mary Frances, this is our dad, Kai Myagusuku."

Kai shook her hand heartily as she recognized a similar mischievous nature to her own in his brown eyes. But those eyes were misty as he told her, "I am truly grateful to you for saving my daughter Kanade."

She now smiled more honestly at the aging man. He was being genuine with her, something she wasn't used to and it tugged at her frozen heart strings. She was honest as she responded, "I just wanted to get out and keep those assholes from making more monsters with our blood."

Kai nodded and said, "I am sure that if my sister were here, she'd thank you too."

"Mr. Myagusuku…" she began.

"Kai," he corrected and then added, "I guess you could call me Uncle Kai now, you are Hagi's daughter."

Kanade and Mary Frances winced at the mention of his name. Kanade informed him in Japanese, "Mary Frances can't stand the mere mention of his name. She's hurting… a lot. Besides, it hasn't been confirmed, Dad."

He looked at his brown eyed daughter and then emphasized, "Well, you're family no less… and there's a meeting. You'll get to meet Mr. David and Mr. Joel."

She smirked, "I've met Mr. Joel." Her heart warmed as Kai guided her toward the mess tent with his girls on one side and Mary Frances' taller frame on the other.

~0~

Kai made certain that Mary Frances had a place near his daughters and him self as the meeting came to order. Hagi was in his customary position, standing near the entrance quietly.

An aging man with lines etched around his mouth, eyes, and between his eyebrows came in the tent. He was dressed smartly in a navy suit and silver tie that emphasized the silver in his hair. The crucifix around his neck glittered red in the dim light of the tent. He came and shook Mary Frances' hand without a smile and then greeted Kai and the girls in the same manner. He took his place in the front of the tent and nodded to Hagi in recognition. Lulu was now at his side.

The meeting was called to order as a few stragglers made their way in. Mary Frances thought for a moment on the family at her side. She wasn't much for this family bonding stuff, but it may be nice to give it a try… someday.

David spoke clearly as he began the meeting.

"As you all know, Fimm Örvar has fallen and all that was there is destroyed."

Shouts and cheers of celebration filled the air, but David still looked grave. Kai shouted for everyone to let him finish.

He cleared his throat and continued, "Unfortunately, when our operatives set the bombs, Argiano and Smith had already taken their research and ran. We are still unable to locate them or their research. We must take our best operatives and search for them. They will be continuing their research."

"Also, some of the candy bars that were given to the soldiers were passed on to various countries, mainly the United States. Chiropteran breakouts are on the rise. We will be called in from the countries as each is spotted and eliminate the threat."

He added in a more somber tone, "you can bet Argiano and Smith are not going to stop making chiropterans or at least making more candy bars. Until they are found and stopped, the war continues."

At this, the soldiers and officers began to murmur amongst themselves. David raised his hand and silenced them all.

Kai asked, "Do you think he'll try to kidnap the princesses again?"

"We believe that this is a probability. It is why we have enlisted the help of Dr. Julia. Dr. Julia has perfected the serum that can neutralize the blood of the princesses. They will all be receiving the injection soon, but until that time, we need an operative watching over each of them."

"Wait," Mary Frances spoke, "you mean I'll have to have some strange guy following me around?"

"Mary Frances," David responded, "you will be in the care of the Red Shield for the next week. Dr. Julia has a few tests to run on you. After that, you will be the first to receive the injection."

"So you want me to take this shot that will give me a normal life?" she asked.

"Yes, Mary Frances, you will live out your natural life as if you were human," Joel VI explained, "but you will never again have to worry about someone wanting to use you to create chiropterans."

Mary Frances looked at the table in front of her and thought about it. Without the injection, she'd live an extended amount of time, feast on blood, never getting sick… never getting a wrinkle or grey hair. If she did get it, she'd never have to watch someone die because of her blood. She responded, "Okay. I'll do it. Anything's better than being a guinea pig for those scientists again." She then added, "After I get this injection, you'll send me home- without a body guard?"

This brought on some laughter from the crowd and she thought she saw a bit of humor glint in Mr. David's eyes. He answered, "Yes, once your blood is neutralized, you will no longer be of any use to Argiano or Smith. Protection will no longer be necessary."

She seemed to visibly relax as Hibiki looked down at the table in front of her. Being in tune with her chiropteran nature, she was curious about anything related to chiropterans. Mary Frances was a princess, but she was the strongest of the princesses… and she had taken down Hagi! Hibiki wanted her around for more than a week. She wanted to get to know her "cousin" better, maybe even spar with her.

Kanade was curious in her own way. Mary Frances seemed like someone to be rescued… from her own mind. The young red queen had been awakened from her dreams of love with Hagi and now saw him as he was, just a man. He made mistakes like everyone else and he was about to make a really big one. She could see how he remained cold toward Mary Frances. She knew he was planning to let her go back to the US and hope he never heard from her again. Kanade now imagined something completely different with Hagi- she imagined him and Mary Frances having a loving relationship. She sighed sadly as she realized, _"A week isn't nearly long enough. They're both so stubborn and hell-bent on hating each other."_

The meeting continued as Mary Frances leaned past Hibiki and asked Kai, "Hey, Mr. Myagusuku…"

He kept his eyes on Mr. David as he corrected, "I told you, Mary Frances, Kai or Uncle Kai."

She stifled the urge to roll her eyes and then completed her thought in a whisper, "Kai, is it alright if I stay with you guys until they finish all this testing shi- I mean stuff they want to do to me?"

Kai's eyes cut to her quickly with a look of surprise on his face, "Shouldn't you stay with your dad?"

She did roll her eyes this time and responded, "No, I don't _want_ to stay with him. Look, if it's money, I got some back in the states. I'll send you…"

"Money?" Kai hissed at her with a look of shock on his face. "Mary Frances, you are family. I wouldn't take your money because I don't do that. I raised these girls like they were my own and never asked for anything in return. I'm not that kind of guy. I just thought you might want to get to know your father better."

Mary Frances couldn't understand this feeling inside her that she had insulted someone for offering them money. She thought it seemed perfectly normal to offer money for a place to stay. At the same time, it warmed her heart that he thought of her as family, but her heart froze at the thought of staying with _him. _"I don't want to get to know him better. I'd rather sit on a bee hive than spend anymore time with him than I already have."

Kai nodded sadly as he understood. Hagi had been cold to her and she had already been hurt too often in her past. It was up to him to show this young woman the true meaning of family. He stifled the urge to curse as he thought, _"No wonder they have me raising these chiropterans, the queens are almost always asleep and the chevaliers are about as warm as an ice burg in a blizzard."_ He took a deep breath and answered, "I'm sure we can arrange for you to stay at Omoro with us."

She offered a genuine smile and a thank you, settling back in her seat. She'd have to work at stifling her cursing habit, but she'd get to hang out with her "cousins". She may as well enjoy herself. Even if she had to crash on a sofa, it was better than sleeping in a jail cell on a cot.

David then concluded the meeting and all dispersed. Mary Frances huffed as she realized she had no clothes, no money, and no wheels. She groaned as she went toward Kai, hoping to ask another favor.

As she made her way through the crowd of chatting soldiers, she felt a hand on her shoulder and turned. Her heart nearly froze as she came face to face with _him._ "What do you want?" she bristled.

Lulu had spoken to him during the meeting, insisting that he needed to do something for her. He knew that she had asked Kai if she could stay at Omoro and he also knew why. He insisted there was a mistake and she was not his daughter, but Lulu pleaded anyway, causing him to take action. He had money and had no reason to use it- this way he could do something charitable.

"I thought you may want to purchase some clothing," he offered. "We will have to stop in New York for a three hour lay-over. You can purchase something there."

She nodded as she gave a look of wonder and thought, "_Why are you helping me?"_

At her nod of agreement he turned to walk away only to be caught be her response, "I'll pay you back, every cent." By the time he turned back to tell her not to be concerned, she was gone.


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N Just a disclaimer since I haven't written one in while. I don't own Blood Plus, or the characters, or the Rolling Stones (magazine or rock group), or Pink Floyd (I SOOOOO WISH), Metallica, or pretty much anything else I forgot.**

**By the way, I know this story takes place more than 20 years in the future and people are still using ipods, ipads, listening to old rock and all that. Let's just say I don't feel like trying to figure out what kind of new devices will be out then. Anyone that has followed me through "Life, Love, and Family" should know by now that I'm a tecr****hnological dinosaur. Just be happy they aren't listening to CD players and watching DVDs without Blue R****ay. LOL **I don't own the copyright to those either****

Chapter 19- Anger

Mary Frances pulled a Rolling Stones vintage t-shirt and ripped jean shorts from the dresser drawer. The bedroom Kai had put her in was on the end of the hall. The walls were a gentle shade of yellow and posters of various Japanese movies adorned the walls. There was a few that had anime images she recognized. The bedroom was one Kai had added on to the original residence for his son George. Since George was now in Boston, the room was empty, giving her a space to stay in.

She dressed quickly and roughed her spiky black hair before she began to apply her eyeliner after her contacts returned to her eyes. She changed out her right lowest earring with a skull and crossbones she had purchased while here in Okinawa.

She still felt cold toward Hagi, but she had to allow him to make an effort. And why not? After all he _is _her father… and she did _insist _she would pay him back once she got to the states.

_When they arrived at Okinawa, Hagi looked at the princess and she glared back, both thinking the same thing. She came up to him and asked, "So where is this clinic at? I want this doctor to do another DNA test and talk about this injection I'll be getting."_

_Hagi simply turned and silently led the girl to the clinic. She grumbled about having to watch that blasted cello case all the way there. "Why does he always carry that thing, anyway?" she thought._

_Dr. Julia seemed nice. She asked a few questions, which she answered easily and felt more comfortable around the woman. It still irked Mary Frances that everyone she seemed to meet looked at her that way- OMG YOU LOOK LIKE HAGI!" At least the shorter hair made her look a little less like him- people could see her face and ears. He seemed to hide his behind those unruly bangs. _

_Dr. Julia sat them down after her test and explained the process that would occur after the injection was administered. She would feel weak for the next couple of days and be spending most of it resting, but then she would be just like any other human woman and live out her life. And the best part- she'd never have to feed on blood again! No more IV's and no more hunting down a meal._

_The second half of that day completely sucked. The attractive but aging doctor returned with that damn file and sighed as she delivered the news, "My paternity test results match those of Dr. Smith's." Looking at Hagi directly, she informed them both, "Hagi, you are Mary Frances' father."_

_Though the man showed no emotion on his face, Mary Frances already knew what he would say to that. "Run the test again."_

So here she was, going for the fourth DNA analysis. "Whatever!" she grumbled to herself as she shouldered her denim bag that was studded with the word ROCKSTAR on the side. She pulled a pack of Marlboros she had bought back in NYC- with Daddy Dearest's money- and began her trek down the stairs to the pub called Omoro.

Kanade offered a genuine smile as she placed a large tray full of food down next to one of the tables. "Hey Mary Frances," she called out.

Hibiki was busy taking an order but waved a hand to tell her hi. She smiled at the blue fingernails recalling that all three of them were in the twins' room hanging out until 3am last night. She liked her 'cousins' and it was nice to have another girl to hang around. She hadn't had any girl time since… she shook her head to keep the tears from coming to her eyes.

As she bounded down the last two steps, Kai poked his red and silver head out of the kitchen and greeted, "Hey, Mary Frances, what're you up to?"

"Another fu…" she cleared her throat to cover the almost curse word. Kai had warned her about her language too many times. "Another DNA test." She rolled her eyes for emphasis.

Kai shook his head sadly and then looked at the tall young woman who was quite obviously Hagi's daughter. He offered a look of apology and muttered, "That is one stubborn chevalier." He then piped up as she came closer, "Hey you want some breakfast… er, lunch?"

She shook her head and commented, "Nah, not hungry."

This left Kai scratching his head in wonder. Chiropteran queens were _always_ hungry and the few princesses he had the pleasure of cooking for had healthy appetites as well. He watched the tall, slender woman leave and thought, _"I wonder what else is different about her."_

She walked purposefully through the town of Koza on her way to the clinic as she caught the curious glances of some of the locals. She was quite tall, for a woman and these people probably weren't used to seeing a very tall American hanging around here when it wasn't even summer.

The sea breeze that moved through the town felt good against her skin as she shifted the strap of her bag and lit her cigarette. She was pulling drags off the cigarette as she neared the clinic in her long stride, wondering where that damn Lurch was, not realizing he was already inside.

As she was nearing the end of her cigarette, a red haze clouded her vision as she smirked, "Bout time your ass showed up," she said, knowing he could hear her. The way he kept denying what was now proven fact was just twisting the knife that had already stabbed her heart. She was willing to give him a chance when he bought her some clothes in New York and even gave her $500 in spare cash. When she told him she'd pay him back, he simply responded, "That is not necessary." Thinking it was an offer of apology for not being there for her, she accepted and was willing to give it a chance, but this- what he was doing now- just brought him back down in her mind.

Hagi hadn't seen what he had done as a peace offering. He simply did it so the girl would have some clothes and be taken care of so it wouldn't burden Kai. Lulu was the one that practically demanded it. She was now in Virginia with Lewis and the CIA. Hagi noticed the way the woman smelled of a burning cigarette and simply stood and glared at her.

She didn't say anything and refused to show whether he intimidated her or annoyed her. Her eyes never turned to him as she lifted the small bit of cigarette she had left to her mouth and took a long drag off it. The smell of cigarette smoke coming from this young one stung his nose. Chiropterans have very heightened senses and right now, Mary Frances' disgusting habit caused his eyes to water. He closed them and turned his head to the side informing her, "You should not smoke. It will cause you many more problems with your health if you continue."

She finished her cigarette and pitched it in the trash with a flick of her fingers before she turned a few inches from his face and slowly blew the smoke from her mouth straight into his face. Two words came from her mouth, "Fuck off." She turned and walked into the clinic.

He closed his eyes another moment and took a very small breath. He knew it was no longer making any sense to deny it- she was his daughter. Hagi followed her into the clinic, his shoulders slightly slumped. Only those that knew him very well could tell the difference.

Julia came to the front desk and grabbed the chart of the next patient. Looking at the name, she rolled her eyes and took a deep breath. "This is going to be rough," she huffed as she straightened her white jacket and headed for room three. Mary Frances was perched on the edge of the examination table while Hagi stood on the other side of the room, looking out the window. She cleared her throat and gave a smile to Mary Frances requesting, "Mary Frances, do you mind going to room four and lying on the examination table? Nurse Ai is going to give you a transfusion."

Mary Frances looked up and gave a nod before she hopped off the table and shouldered her bag. "Yeah, sure, Dr. J," she chirped before she headed to the next room.

Once she was gone, Julia was surprised to hear the chevalier speak. "Dr. Julia, I am not insulting your intelligence or you as a doctor." His steel gaze fixed to the window sill as he continued, "I am simply… I cannot believe this test. I know what I have done and what I have not. I am not the father of this or any child."

She sighed as she sat in the rolling stool and motioned for him to take a seat in one of the chairs across from her. He placed the cello case down reverently beside the table and sat in the chair with a grace she had never seen in any man. Her eyes met his and their gazes locked. He was sitting upright, almost stiff. "Hagi, DNA doesn't lie. She is your daughter. I can't tell you what to do about this because only you know. The secret is somewhere in your mind and only you hold the key to unlock it. I can imagine that you may have felt such extreme guilt after the act that you locked away that memory for good. It happens sometimes in the case of extreme trauma."

Hagi continued to give her the same gaze and responded, "Pardon me, Dr. Julia, but I was not aware that the behavior of reproduction could be called traumatic."

She sighed deeply and responded, "No, it usually isn't…" she fixed her sad gaze on the scene outside the window. She could feel the pain and the anxiety was thick and heavy in the room as she knew what he was thinking- Saya would awaken in less than a year. "But in your situation, it would be. You have been in love with Saya all this time and you confess it only 30 years ago, but then in a simple moment of weakness, you have betrayed her and your love for her. I think that alone could cause you to want to lock it away and forget it forever."

Hagi simply looked out the window. Catching the way his eyes momentarily shifted, she could tell he was becoming upset. She leaned forward and said, "I don't want you to be upset Hagi, but you need to tell Saya. Don't let Mary Frances go back to the US and pretend she doesn't exist because lies have a way of coming back to you."

Hagi was not listening. His mind was reeling with the knowledge that he had a daughter. What kind of father would he be? There was a reason that he was relieved, yes relieved, when he found out that he could not father children with Saya. His past- his parents had no idea how to raise a child, why would he? This woman wasn't really as old as she said she was. He could sense it all the way through him, but how do you explain that to the Red Shield? I just know- they won't buy that. She was lying but she had covered all her bases. She had an ID, a real name that traces to a real person, and the photo matches the woman. How could he be a father figure to a woman that wanted nothing to do with him?

The answer was simple, she lied about her age so she can drink alcohol and possibly so she could buy those disgusting cigarettes. Dr. Julia reeked of them too. He was surrounded by smokers. No wonder he felt like he was going mad.

He vaguely heard Julia say that she wanted him to follow her, so he rose and shouldered his cello. He followed her to room four and saw Mary Frances wearing a genuine grin while she chatted with Nurse Ai about the numerous grandchildren the aging nurse had. She rose from her seat and greeted, "Dr. Julia, Hagi, I was just talking with this enchanting creature."

Never before had Hagi wanted to smirk and respond, "You don't know her." Instead, he gave a slight bow saying, "Arigato."

The nurse continued as she gathered a few items and threw them in the trash, "She's learning Japanese really quickly, such a smart girl." She then poured a glass of water for the princess and added sweetly, "She is so beautiful. If only she'd grow her hair out like her father. You have such lovely hair, Hagi."

Mary Frances sputtered a laugh at the compliment and responded, "Yeah, he's pretty alright. If only he could find a personality."

Dr. Julia winced at the insult while Hagi simply stood there. Nurse Ai leaned in to whisper in the girl's ear so no one would hear her, "Now Miss Reyes, I will not hear of you insulting your father that way. I know that you're hurting, but you have to give him a chance. I've never seen him smile and I know that has to hurt him too." She then looked the girl in the eyes and said, "You have to let him in so he'll let you in."

Mary Frances nodded and watched as the woman left before she rolled her eyes muttering, "Fat ass chance."

Knowing he heard her she fixed a cold, brown eyed glare on him until Dr. Julia came to her side. She then looked up at the doctor as Julia informed the two, "I have a new assistant that Mary Frances has already met, but you haven't Hagi. I want her and David to be here for this.

As if on cue, there was a steady knock at the door and Julia allowed her husband in. He was followed by a young woman that looked to be in her twenties. She had her brown hair held in the back of her head with a simple barrette. Her genuine smile and sweet demeanor reminded Hagi of little Riku, Saya's other chevalier and younger brother.

"Hagi, Mary Frances," Julia said, "This is Dr. Mui Quang. She comes to us from Vietnam originally, but she graduated from Baylor in the US."

The younger doctor began to shake hands with the two patients. Mary Frances felt a sweet kinship with the young doctor and attributed it to their similar age. She commented, "You look so young to be a doctor."

Dr. Mui smiled and responded, "A long time ago, when I was a child, I was given the drug Delta 67. They told me they were to heal me so I could walk again. The drug caused me to mutate, like many others, but I never completely transformed. Thanks to the Red Shield. I'm okay now, but the side effect is similar to that of the second generation princesses. They have a slightly extended lifespan and their bodies age slower."

Mary Frances nodded and easily understood the woman in spite of her accent.

Dr. Julia then added, "We are lucky to have Dr. Mui. She specifically asked to join the Red Shield, even though she has an amazing talent for blood born illness and genetic mutations."

She beamed at Dr. Julia and responded, "I am the lucky one. Ever since I was saved by the Red Shield, I have wanted to help them save others." She then bowed gracefully. David gave a curt nod and Dr. Julia a polite smile.

Dr. Mui turned to Hagi and added, "Thanks to you and Saya, we are all human today and still alive." She bowed to him, which he gracefully returned.

Dr. Julia then cleared her throat and looked at the father and daughter. "Unfortunately, I do have some other news that Joel wanted to be here for, but he has been in a very important meeting with the specialists that are searching for Argiano and Dr. Smith."

She took a breath and informed, "The drug we used on Mary Frances did not work. Her blood is still active. All we can think is that the red line's strength also means that we have to create something different for her."

Hagi nodded and asked, "How long will that take?"

Dr. Julia responded sadly, "We just don't know, Hagi. It took us almost two years to come up with this injection, it could take longer to create one for Mary Frances."

Mary Frances looked up in panic, "So this means I can't go home?" For the first time any of them ever had seen, the princess had tears in her eyes. She shook her head and responded, "No. I don't want to stay here. I want to go home to my apartment, Daddy Green, my business, _my truck…_"

Dr. Mui came to her side to comfort her. She spoke in hushed tones to the girl, not realizing she had slipped into Vietnamese. As she comforted the girl, her shoulders began to shake. She whispered in the doctor's ear, "Please, don't tell anyone."

Hagi wondered at this as he heard what was said. Mary Frances was openly crying in front of everyone and told the doctor not to say anything. She had said something before that, but Hagi couldn't understand it. He knew she was proud, but was she really that proud that she didn't want anyone to know she could cry?

Mr. David turned to Hagi and informed him, "Mr. Goldschmidt and I have discussed this and feel that it would be best for you to watch over Mary Frances when she returns to the US. We know they will try to take her again, but she needs to go to Los Angeles to put her affairs in order. When will Saya awaken?"

Hagi looked at him with the same look he gave when Mao wanted to "borrow him" 30 years ago. He answered, "It should be 8 months."

David took a breath and turned to the princess and the new assistant. Standing next to Hagi made him feel a bit small. Hagi was such a tall man, but Mary Frances was nearly as tall. He was glad she was sitting, otherwise he'd feel like he was in the land of the giants. He began to tell her the plan.

The entire clinic went still as they heard a long and very loud, "NOOOOOO!" coming from room four.

She looked at them like they were all crazy. "You mean you're gonna let me go back for only 6 months. SIX MONTHS! And then you're gonna want me to come back here. HELL NO!" She continued to rant as she pulled the drained IV from her arm.

"You!" she shouted to David. "You and Mr. Goldschmidt only give me 6 months and then I have to come back here? Are you _CRAZY_?!"

David had to stifle a laugh. This was so wrong yet so funny. Hagi was just standing there as if she was just a squirrel fussing at a cat for chasing it. Here he was, his nearly 20-year-old daughter was in the middle of a busy clinic, throwing a tantrum like a child, and he had no idea what to do.

"And to top it all off," she continued, "you want me to take Lurch here with me!" She took a breath and then looked Hagi up and down in disgust. "He may be my sperm doner, but he is NOT my dad!" she spat at the chevalier.

At this, David felt it was time to put a stop to this. He grabbed the princess quickly and pressed her face to the wall with her arm twisted behind her back. He knew she would easily overpower him, but he hoped to get through to her before she threw him through a wall. "Listen, Mary Frances, I don't appreciate the way you speak to him. He didn't know you existed until now. He's taking this one day at a time, just like you. Stop treating him this way and behave like a lady."

She took breath, then easily pulled away from the military man and glared at him hatefully. She wiped her mouth and responded, "I was never a lady." She grabbed her bag and headed for the door.

David came to Hagi's side and said, "You need to do something about her. She can't speak to you that way."

Hagi looked at him in confusion. What was he supposed to do? He had learned to just tune her out, like all other humanity.

She got to the doorway and turned. Looking back into the room and pointed to each of them, "Fuck you and you…" When she got to Dr. Mui, she said, "Not you. You're cool with me." She then gave a deadly glare to the man that was her father and growled, "And especially, fuck you."

She dashed out of the clinic as she shouldered her bag and headed for Omoro. In a flash, she disappeared in a gust of wind as tears poured from her eyes. She was in hell. That's what this was. Thankfully, she could find some comfort in a place she had found the day she arrived. She headed for the beach.


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N Disclaimer: I do not own Blood Plus or any characters mentioned other than my OCs. I do not own any of the music mentioned. As for the song lyrics in this chapter- they belong to Roxette and the song is called "Watercolors in the Rain" Aaannnd- I don't own The Addam's Family either. Sure wish I did- I'd be rich!**

Chapter 20- Sanctuary

She wished she had her ipod. She wished she had her music. What she found as she dashed through town was a music shop and a beat up acoustic guitar. Mary Frances had just enough money with her to purchase the thing and head for the beach and the stone steps.

_It was nearly a week ago on a sleepless night. She heard the beautiful deep melody that came from an era long ago dancing on the light sea breeze. It was her first night at Omoro and she was already homesick. She missed her life so much. Being an insomniac on a regular basis had hardened her to sleeping. She only did it when she felt weak and hadn't ate well._

_Tired of sitting in the bedroom that Kai let her use, she sat on the window sill and kicked her feet out. She easily leapt to the ground below and took off to the beach to find that song._

_She had no idea who was playing so sweetly, but she had to find it._

_Her feet were moving, but she didn't know where they were taking her. By the time she reached the stone steps, the music had stopped and the player vanished. She climbed and climbed for it seems like forever. Once she reached the top, she noticed a stone shrine and the garden that lay beyond. The full moon sent a cool blue light over everything. _

_It should have felt creepy. It should have frightened her into leaving, but it didn't. It felt comforting. It was a place of solace- a sanctuary. The small memorials didn't spook her like a cemetery should. This felt different than any cemetery she'd been in- this was special._

_She gasped as her eyes drifted from the stone walls and alters to a massive cobweb that hung in a corner. She should be frightened, but she's not. This is familiar. She came to the massive thing and placed a hand on it. It wasn't cold and it wasn't dead. She could feel the inhabitant question her from her pink amniotic surrounding, "Who are you?"_

_She didn't speak with her mouth, but her mind answered._

_After a long while, she asked, "Saya? Are you the queen Saya?"_

_There was no answer, but she felt as if she had been accepted here._

Mary Frances made her way up the stone steps and came into the shrine. She flopped down in the corner next to the cocoon. She pressed her face into her hands and her forehead to her knees before she let out a few sobs and then let loose a small whimper.

"Saya," she said, "you won't believe what they are doing to me. They want your damn chevalier to come back with me to the states. I have to say goodbye to everything I know because…" her face contorted as she sobbed. "…because my blood."

She cried for a moment before she added, "Why does he have to come with me?" She turned and looked at the cocoon and asked, "Seriously, what do you see in that guy?" Feeling a warm sensation envelope her, she realized the answer- Saya had fallen in love with him. She muttered, "I still don't see why."

After a time, she realized why she came here. She began to pull the guitar from its case and tune the strings. "I read Joel I's diary and I know all the stuff you went through." She added sadly, "I also know you won't remember any of this when you wake up."

Brightening again, she added, "But I also found out that you like music. I thought you'd like to hear what I learned how to play since you'll hear a lot of cello and piano when you wake up. Lurch plays the cello and he taught Kanade and Hibiki plays piano and sings that opera stuff."

She sighed, "I hope you like this cause all I know is rock ballads and some country music." Playing a few simple chords to test the guitar, she added, "Well, here it goes."

Mary Frances played a few bars before she opened her mouth and began to sing "Dust in the Wind" in a sultry alto voice. It was so different than what Saya always heard, but for some reason it soothed her. The woman's voice was peaceful, but so sad. It was even more sad than Diva's.

When she switched to her final song, she informed her, "This one's an old one that I remember hearing at The Center on someone's ancient cassette player- it's called 'Watercolors in the Rain.'

_Going through emotions_

_Ending up_

_Nowhere at all_

_Can see the sun on my wall_

_Going through the motions_

_Ending up_

_On a frozen morning_

_With a heart not even broken_

_Seems I've been running_

_All my life, All my life_

_Seems I've been running_

_All my life, All my life_

_All mu life_

_Like watercolors in the rain_

_Find a place to settle down_

_Get a job_

_In a city nearby_

_Watch the trains roll on by_

_I find a fallen star_

_Oo, I fall in love_

_With the eyes of a dreamer_

_And a dream worth believing_

_Seems I've been running_

_All my life, All my life_

_Seems I've been running_

_All my life, All my life_

_All my life_

_Like watercolors in the rain_

She finished the song with tears streaking her face. One of her favorite songs and it just tore her up to sing it. The song always made her feel like a battered and broken little bird, lying in the middle of nowhere with no hope of rescue. She pressed the back of her head to the stone wall behind her and cried again.

It was relaxing to show weakness for a bit. It was even better that the resident of this place would never remember this visit. Her secret was safe.

She briefly wondered if Lurch ever did this and then brushed the thought away. What he does here is no business of hers.

She began to pack up the guitar and head back to Omoro. She turned and said, "Well, Saya, I'll see you in about 6 months. I'm going back to the states. I'll be sure to get Lur- I mean Hagi back before you wake up."

~0~

Mary Frances' outburst at the clinic had been a real ordeal for him. He was not accustomed to so much emotion or cursing. He had to think about this. He was walking along the beach and tumbling over his thoughts.

"_How do they expect me to do this? I have no idea how to correct her or talk to her. Julia told me treat her the way I treated Saya, but she is nothing like Saya was. Sure Saya was spoiled, but she wasn't anything like this girl. Saya was mischievous, but not evil."_

"_Mary Frances is hurtful, proud, arrogant, mean-spirited, impatient, and vulgar."_

He was distracted from his thoughts when he heard an acoustic guitar somewhere nearby. It was coming from Saya's resting place! Normally, this caused the chevalier alarm. Normally, he'd dash up the steps and cause an intruder great pain by a few rapidly fired daggers.

Something was different. He felt that this was no threat at all. _"The same blood?"_ he thought as he mounted the steps, taking them two at a time and then three. He was still completely silent as he approached the shrine and peered inside. The young hateful, spiteful, arrogant, proud woman was shedding tears as she sang a beautiful, relaxing melody to the sleeping queen. Hagi was startled to say the least. The girl was playing a beat up old guitar. Her fingers deftly moved over the frets as her natural nails plucked the strings gently.

He listened silently to the song in wonder. Is this what her life was like? Her file said that she had lived all her life in LA. No, that wasn't it. It must be why she got a diesel truck- it's how she _wants_ her life to be. She wants to travel freely and experience it first hand- not from a song.

Hearing her gentle alto voice deftly going though the more difficult parts as if the song was written for her gave him a strange feeling. He had never felt this way before. His daughter played through the tune and sang perfectly.

He recalled when Saya taught him to play the cello and he surpassed her. She was jealous that he was better than her and gave it up completely.

What he felt was not jealousy- this felt good. Was he… _proud_ of her?

He was gone from the entrance before she left, but as she came out, she felt he had been there. She scrunched her brows and growled out one word, "Spy."

~0~

Mary Frances went back to Omoro that evening with one last surprise for the family. She had found an old DVD at one of the shops near Omoro and had to get everyone to see it- The Addams Family.

She helped in the pub that night. Kai insisted she should pack, but she simply answered, "Meh, I'll do it later."

As she wiped down tables, one of the customers began to get a little handsy. She felt him pinch her backside before he groped her. Kai was almost at the table when Mary Frances turned around and informed him in Japanese, "Trust me, I am way more than you can handle." She then regarded there were two more at the table with him. She licked her lips and added as she leaned in close to all three of them, revealing her cleavage, "I'd eat the three of you alive." She gnashed her teeth for emphasis, causing them to flinch with wide eyes.

Kanade and Hibiki shared the same expression. They had been fighting those guys off for what seemed like an eternity. Kai had even thrown them out a few times. But they all laughed as the guys quickly exited the bar wearing fearful looks.

"That was amazing!" Hibiki congratulated as she came to her cousin's side.

"How did you learn Japanese so fast?" Kanade asked, but was interrupted as Kai was still sputtering laughter and glancing with disapproval at his niece.

"I don't know whether to hug you or take you over my knee right now," he laughed. He briefly thought if Hagi were here, he'd probably have killed the lot before Mary Frances even turned around. This was much funnier.

~0~

It was hard work, running the pub, but Kai was grateful for the additional help offered by Mary Frances. About mid-way through the evening, the bartender became ill and she simply jumped behind the bar without being asked and began to take requests. She knew almost all the American mixed drinks, but had no trouble learning the different drafts that were written in Japanese.

Kai was impressed with the young woman to say the least, but something was gnawing at him. He looked at her as he wiped down one of the tables as she cleaned up the bar. Her features were still rounded, like Kanade and Hibiki, making him think,_ "There is no way that she's 19 going on 20. She's tall and I think that's why she gets away with saying she's 20 or like when she told them tonight, 21. She has to be lying about her age." _

He took a breath and asked, "Mary Frances," when her brown eyes met his, he continued, "when is your birthday?"

She gave a sly smirk and responded, "C'mon, the Red Shield did a background check on me. You are one of their operatives. I'm sure you can tell me more about me than I can tell you."

He nodded and smirked back. She's a smart one. He then asked, "So, you turn 20 in August, right?" At her nod, he commented, "You're gonna be in the states for your birthday."

"Yeah," she smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes. "I'll have my business, Daddy Green, my neighbor, and _my truck_!"

He smiled at the mention of a truck. Hagi never told them about what kind of truck it was. He smiled, thinking it must be one of those really nice trucks, maybe an extended cab. He asked, "This truck you love so much- what kind is it?"

She smirked as she answered, "It's a diesel tractor with a sleeper, triple axle with trailer attached. It was built in 1995- and _it's midnight black with 5 clear coats. You can friggin see your reflection on the finish!"_

Both of Kai's eyebrows were raised and his face looked completely confused. He nodded and said, "I have no idea what that is."

She laughed out so hard that she nearly snorted. "Of course you don't. It's not a truck for hauling a few things. I run a semi, Kai. A freakin' awesome semi!"

Kai blinked. She wasn't just some casual driver, she was a big rig driver. All Kai could say was, "Wow."

She smirked, "I know." She wiped down the counter and gave a quick glance around for Riku or the girls and as Kai put it "their sensitive ears" before she added, "It fucking rocks!" As she finished the counters, she told him, "Hey, give me your email address and I'll send you a pic when I get back."

Kai smiled as he commented, "Yeah, that sounds good." He then thought about his bike suddenly, "You know, I have a motorcycle that has been giving me some trouble."

She furrowed a brow and commented, "Oh? I don't know much about bikes, but I do know the parts are similar to cars. Daddy Green has a few on the lot that we tinkered with, but they'll probably never run again."

"Wanna look at it?" he asked as he tossed the dirty cloth into the bin of dirty towels.

Mary Frances followed suit and shrugged her shoulders, "Why not?"

~0~

The girls were setting up the movie Mary Frances had bought as they settled in their seats. They both rolled their eyes as they overheard Kai telling Mary Frances about his bike in the garage. Riku joined them in a moment and slouched as he tinkered with some game. All three of them were floored at what they heard next.

Kai said, "I dunno. It's fine if I run it short distances, but man when I ride it for more than 10 minutes straight, it begins to overheat. I replaced the _entire _cooling system a few years ago and it still does it!"

Mary Frances answered after a moment, "Did you check to see that the thermostat is good? Does it open in boiling water?"

After a moment, Kai dashed inside with some part in his hand as Mary Frances followed him to the door before returning to the garage and the bike.

The girls smiled as they heard the front door open and Hagi walked inside. Riku watched the chevalier as if he was about to do something. The young man had come to enjoy Mary Frances' company and was upset at teh way Hagi treated her. They could hardly wait to begin this movie. Mary Frances kept calling Hagi Lurch and they were dying with curiosity to see this character that acted like Hagi.

He came to the girls and Riku on the sofa as he noticed Kai was tinkering with some automotive part in the kitchen and a pot of water. His brow furrowed briefly and he turned to them. "Where is Mary Frances?"

Kanade gave him a questioning look and answered, "She and Dad are talking motorcycles. I think she's actually helping him fix it."

Hagi walked to the garage door and noticed the girl was leaned over the engine of Kai's old motorcycle. She didn't turn back but she felt the presence of a chiropteran. "Hey, I don't know which twin I'm talking to," she called out as she kept her eye on the item she was removing, "but did Kai get that water boiling yet?"

A deep answer startled her as she was answered, "Not yet." She looked up and tried to keep her cool. Who the hell invited him?

Such an odd thing. Why was Kai boiling a machine part? Hagi tried to keep his curiosity under control, usually an easy thing, but this seemed so strange. Such a young girl and she knew about fixing motorcycles and drove a semi! Finally, he casually asked, "Why is Kai boiling a motorcycle part?"

She wiped her hands and smirked. She could spot a man without a mechanical bone in his body a mile away. Knowing she was right about Lurch, she explained, "That motorcycle part is a thermostat. It regulates the cooling system. He's boiling it to see if it will open like it's supposed to."

He blinked as she brushed past him. That was the most civil thing she's ever said to him.

She heard the thought and responded, "I'll be stuck with you for six months, Lurch. May as well make the most of it. I have a feeling, by the time this is all over we'll be tearing each other apart. I can be nice for a while." She headed for the kitchen and spoke with Kai.

Hagi walked to the living room and saw Hibiki grumbling about how long they were taking to get in there. Instead she grabbed the remote from her sister and pushed play shouting, "Butts in seats! I pushed play!"

Kai rolled his eyes as he turned off the water and joined Mary Frances. "We better get in there, Hibiki has a bad temper when she has to wait for something." He added as he ushered Mary Frances into the living room, "The thermostat opened. I just don't know what else it could be."

"When you have more time, try to pull the head gasket from the engine. Run a few drops of water onto it to see if any water leaks through," she said.

"Urgh!" Hibiki grumbled, "Are you two going to talk motorcycles _all _night? Could we _please _watch the movie now?"

Kanade glared at her and shushed her, "Hibiki, it's her last night here. We should let her have fun her own way."

"Oh this _is_ going to be fun," she smiled at the two and winked.

They watched the movie for a time before a man came to the massive door and knocked. This very tall, imposing man answered the door with a stiff attitude and asked, "You rang?" His voice was quite deep and he never smiled.

Mary Frances was laughing and the twins looked at each other in confusion. Kai scrunched his brow and looked closer at the screen and then Mary Frances, "He doesn't look like Hagi."

Mary Frances laughed and corrected, "I never said he did. I said he _acts_ like him."

Kai and the twins looked at each other and shrugged. He kind of did, so they just let that go. Mary Frances still thought it was funny and was giggling every time the butler had even a moment of screen time. By the time the movie had run an hour, Riku looked up from his game and saw the butler. He tried to hide the smile that came to his face. He then rose and left for his room, having lost interest in the movie.

The twins passed out on the couch in the middle of the movie, their feet were on the opposite ends of the sofa but their heads were pressed against each other, cheek to cheek. Mary Frances smiled absently as Kai took a picture of the two before lifting Hibiki off the sofa and motioning for Hagi to take Kanade. As Hagi lifted Kanade in his arms, he noted how Mary Frances' smile fell.

She rose and followed them upstairs. When Kai returned to the hallway minus one queen, she rubbed the back of her head and commented, "Well, I guess I better go pack. See you in the morning."

Kai nodded and smiled before he headed down the stairs to finish the movie.

Hagi heard the girl packing in George's old room. He took a moment to look out of the window near her room into the moonlit night. It surprised him to see Kai on the porch doing the same thing.

Kai thought about the girl. She was young and sad. Having raised 4 kids, Kai knew just what was going through Mary Frances' head right now. The man that was confirmed her father 4 times now, possibly five, kept denying it. He thought Hagi got it when they were in New York and he bought her some clothes and even gave her some cash in case she needed it.

As the chevalier came out, Kai thought about what he might say, but couldn't string it together. The two stood in silence, looking out at the ball park across the street.

He was rather surprised that Hagi spoke first. "Kai, as I will be gone for quite some time in Los Angeles, could you please change the rose at Saya's resting place for me every other day. You can purchase the flowers at the market in town." He then handed Kai an envelope with the cash needed.

Kai looked at him and nodded before he commented, "What if she wakes up while you're gone?"

"She won't," he responded flatly. "Even if she does, I will sense it and return."

At this comment, Kai turned to look at the chevalier with confusion. "Dad said that he found Saya already awake and out of her tomb. If you could sense when she woke up, why weren't you there?"

Hagi kept his gaze on the stars and did not respond.

Kai then said, "Hagi, do me a favor while you're there." He waited for the blue-grey eyes to meet his, "Try to talk to her. She's hurt by what you did. I know you didn't mean for it to hurt her but it has."

"How do you know?" Hagi responded flatly.

"She was being halfway nice to you when we got here, but after the second paternity test, she was calling you every curse word in the book and a few I didn't even know. Besides, I got 4 kids- I know how they think," Kai said.

They both turned their gazes back to the stars and Kai continued, "Don't worry about Saya right now. Mary Frances needs you right now. Fix things with her first 'cause I don't think she's going to be staying in the US and you need to look after her when you both get back to Okinawa."

At this, Hagi turned to him. "Kai, I am Saya's protector. When I return, it will be for her and her alone. Mary Frances will be staying with you. There is plenty of protection here…"

At this Kai threw his hands up and interrupted, "Oh no. Hell no, Hagi, this is your problem. She's your child to deal with. You need to do this because she's your responsibility."

They didn't see the very subject of their discussion coming up behind them, mouth hanging open in shock. When Kai mentioned she was that… urgh! That she was Hagi's responsibility, she was fuming.

"Let's get this fucking straight," she interrupted, causing the two men to turn abruptly. One was wearing an "oh shit" expression, the other was wearing his usual blank expression, "I am 20 years old and my OWN responsibility. Ass wipe here lost that right when he screwed my mom and left her to fend for herself. As for being a burden…"

"Mary Frances," Kai interrupted, "I never meant that you were a burden. I was just…"

She looked at Kai with a softened yet still angry look, causing him to stop mid sentence, "I know. You just want my shit-head sperm doner to take some responsibility. So far all I've got from him are mixed signals and denial."

She turned to leave and added, "Oh and one more thing," at this point she was a few inches from Hagi's face and glared at him as she finished, "I _was_ going to be nice to you for the sake of getting along. You blew that all to hell tonight. Just know that this trip is going to be hell on earth for you!" With that, she disappeared with chiropteran speed up the stairs.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21- Hell on Earth

Mary Frances made good her word. The moment they landed at the airport, she did her best to make him feel his worst. She purposefully changed their tickets to eliminate the lay-over in New York that he wanted and ended up on a direct flight to Los Angeles, California.

When they landed, she began to dash to get her luggage and found her stuff right away. She then made a point of bumping his shoulder as she dashed away from him. He had to actually use his powers to catch up with her after he found the cello case coming down the conveyer belt. She was loading her stuff in the trunk of the cab and slammed it shut before he made a move, causing them both to glare at each other.

Inwardly, she was doing a triumphant dance. Even through the stoic exterior, she sensed his irritation. She moved to the passenger's side of the cab to find the driver glaring at her. He held a lit cigar, dangling it out the window and spoke in a gravely voice as he informed her, "Passnegers in back."

"What?" she cried. Her head popped up to see the chevalier placing the cello case in the trunk the driver had to open again. She then popped her head back into the cab and sneered, "I am _not_ sitting with him."

"Lady," he retorted as his cold grey eyes peered into hers, "I don't care what kinda hang-ups you and your twin there have, but you guys better learn to get cozy back there 'cause no one sits up here but me."

She let out a silent curse as she stood to her full height and rolled her eyes. After she cooled off a second, she looked back into the cab and smiled a super sweet saccharine smile and informed him, "If you make me sit back there with him, there will be blood all over the back of your cab… and it won't be mine."

The two of them glared each other down. Neither of them wanted to back off. Hagi watched the scene with a bit of amusement. The shrewish girl was now dealing with a personality exactly like her own.

They arrived at her apartment complex about 30 minutes later. Mary Frances was nearly bouncing in her seat as the cab came to a stop. Not even losing the argument with the cab driver could curb her enthusiasm. One more speed bump and they'd be there.

She wondered briefly at the scent that seemed to follow the dark haired man that was to be her body guard for half a year. There was an odd scent that she was unfamiliar with, but there were others she was familiar with. One was the scent of roses. It was strong, almost overpowering the smell of sandalwood. She casually asked, "Why do you smell like roses?"

He didn't show it, but there was a glint of surprise in his eyes as he wondered why she was curious. Maybe he shouldn't answer her. Maybe he should just make it seem as if he was holding a grudge, but he knew that would never get either of them anywhere. He took a breath and responded, "I always bring a rose to Saya every morning when she sleeps. Sometimes I give her one when she is awake."

She nodded and turned to the window. He had actually answered her. What was his game? He should have ignored her, but instead he had showed interest. The answer then processed in her mind and she thought how caring that was. "That's a bit more romantic than I expected of you, Lurch. Why a rose?"

He inwardly cringed at the nickname he was given. It sounded horrible and that butler did not look anything like him. Not only that, he didn't act like that either. He responded in his usual monotone, "It is what is expected of me."

Now her curiosity was piqued. That was not the answer she was expecting. She turned to him and commented, "Wait! Wait! You mean to tell me that you just do something like give her a rose everyday just because it's expected of you?" She vaguely heard the cab driver inform them they had arrived, but she was busy. She gave an evil smirk as the chevalier turned to get out of the car. She caught his attention as she grabbed his ponytail. She pulled him back until he was looking in her eyes from an upside down position. She told him, "Bull shit. You do it to get her attention because you're in love with her."

He turned quickly, freeing his hair from her grasp and gripped her arm as he came to a seated position. She thought she heard a growl come from his throat and his eyes flashed a bright blue. She smirked as she felt his grip tighten on her wrist, "Awe, did I piss you off?"

The chevalier released the princess and quickly exited the cab. How was he ever going to stay with this woman? He had never had a flare of temper since he was young. This princess certainly knew how to get under his skin- one cab ride and he was ready to rip her apart. Taking his cello case, he made certain to keep a wide distance between her and himself as he paid the cab driver.

The gruff looking man asked, "Hey, is that your sister? You guys look so much alike."

Hagi's jaw clenched as he simply nodded. It didn't matter that he was actually more than a century older than her, he still looked 22. No one would believe the truth- neither did he.

~0~

She wanted to relax that day. They had gotten back from a very long flight and she had so many things to do. Her mail was in a stack and she had to go through it all. Thankfully, all her bills were paid online and taken directly from her checking account. The sale of The Center had swollen the account and the money from smuggling only added to the pile she had sitting in the bank.

She smirked as she left the shower and rubbed her hair dry with the over sized towel. Her guest was in the living room playing something on the cello. She rolled her eyes when they arrived and he turned down a chance to watch her big screen TV and instead grabbed a chair from her dining room table.

Looking at her computer screen, she noticed the last transfer she had made from her account to another account under the name Hagi Goldschmidt in the amount of $900. She warned him that she would pay him back, whether he wanted it or not. She could still hear the way Joel VI was trying not to show the smile in his voice when she explained why she wanted Hagi's account number. She just knew he'd refuse her offers to pay him back.

She came into the living room where the chevalier was drawing the bow across the strings, producing the most beautiful, melancholy piece of music she had ever heard. The princess couldn't help but watch, entranced by the spell he seemed to weave with his gentle motions and the way he seemed to be completely engrossed in even the slightest movement he made. It was a vision of perfection and she knew not to intrude on it. Instead she chose to make some tea in the kitchen.

She began to boil the water as she searched through the cabinets above where she usually kept her tea and coffee. She muttered about having to buy some milk, cheese, eggs, lunch meat, bread… the list went on and on. So many things had gone bad in her absence. Through Kai she had found out that Hagi never ate or drank anything so that was one less person to worry about when it came to groceries.

As the kettle whistled, she was brought back to her original task. She took the plastic container from the cabinet and opened it to the smell of her favorite chai tea. Busy with her tea preparations, she did not realize the music had stopped. As she waited for her tea to steep, she began to write down a list of things she needed. When she moved to get a trash bag to throw the molded stuff out, she was startled to see him standing in the dining area, watching her.

She turned back to her task of throwing stuff out and murmured, "Creepy ass stalker." She then spoke aloud, "Do you always creep on women or am I just special?"

He did not respond as he continued to stand there, causing her to feel a bit annoyed, "What do you want?"

Finally, he turned his gaze to the window, letting the sunlight color his face in a yellow and his grey-blue eyes sparkled. "The tea smells good. What is it?"

She went still in the process of throwing away some fuzzy grapes. Her face turned to him, surprised at his interest, she regarded him with suspicion. "It's vanilla chai tea. I usually have a little milk with it." She then grabbed a half gallon jug that held something that had really gone bad. But, as you can see, my milk has turned a rather terrible shade of green since I was gone."

He nodded and then asked, "Could I try some, please?"

She blinked and then turned back to the hot kettle and grabbed another mug. "Yeah," she responded with a bit of reluctance, as well as an expression of disbelief. After she set the tea bag in the steaming mug, she turned to him. "I thought you didn't eat or drink."

He stared out the window again and elaborated, "I am curious. It smells… different than what I am accustomed to."

She nodded and wondered at him. Once she had thrown out all the bad food, she tied the bag and informed him, "Be right back."

He sat by the window and sipped the tea. It was exotic and yet very familiar to him. As he stared into the now half empty mug, he wondered, _"What is this woman doing to me?"_ He had never allowed his curiosity to take over before. He was doing and saying things he had not in over 100 years.

When she returned, she took her mug and flopped into the overstuffed leather chair in the living room. She clicked on the television as she sipped her tea. "It's better with milk," she commented. When he turned his head to her, she added, "The tea- it's better with milk."

He nodded and turned his gaze to the window again. "You said that earlier."

She responded, "Well, it is."

Once his mug was completely empty, he noticed she had went to her room. After a moment, she returned in a pair of very short ripped denim shorts barely hanging on her hips. She wore a shirt that had the word "BITCH" printed in bold letters across the front. It was tied just under her large breasts, revealing her flat belly with a few parallel lines and yet another piercing. "Gotta get some stuff," she informed as she grabbed a small clutch he remembered from a year ago. She removed her wallet and stuffed it in her front pocket. "You coming or what?"

"You should wear something else if you plan to go anywhere," he said plainly.

She snorted, "Yeah, sure. I guess you forgot something, mister. I'm not sweet or innocent and I'll wear what I damn well please."

He had no choice but to follow her so he got up and did just that.

~0~

If she got stares of disapproval before, she had many more now. They were an odd combination and to top it off, they looked so much alike. She ignored the stares and comments as she grabbed items from the shelf.

As she went to pay, she noticed the chevalier reach for the card in his wallet. She scowled at him and hissed, "Just what the hell are you doing?"

He glared back at her and responded, "I do not know how you did it, but you added money to my account." He added firmly, "I am paying for this."

She didn't want to make a scene. They already drew too much attention as it was, but she would not be backed down. She hissed through clenched teeth as her eyes went wide with anger. "Let's get this straight right now. I am 19 going on 20, my _mom _raised me until I was 17 by herself, I have _plenty _of money, and I think I'm doing a fine job of taking care of myself. So as you can see, I _don't _need your charity, Lurch."

He did not like the scene that this caused. Usually he ignored stares of strangers, but too many eyes could cause problems. He backed down and let her pay, but not before he noticed the thin line around her iris- an indication of contact lenses. Keeping silent, he followed her after she paid for the food and they began to leave.

She was surprised as they made their way outside, he asked casually, "Why do you wear contacts?"

"None of your damn business," she responded coldly.

"It's because she can't see," a voice called out from the side.

They turned and to see a bleached-out blonde haired man that stood next to a deep red muscle car. He smiled at the pair and looked Mary Frances up and down. His smile widened as he commented, "God, Mary Frances, you don't know how much I missed you."

She smirked, "Jack." She walked up to him, placed a hand on his chest, and ran her finger up the center of his tight t-shirt and then up the side of his face, causing him to shiver. She then grabbed a handful of nearly white hair and roughly pulled his head back. Noticing the instant reaction he had against her hip that was tight against his groin, she asked, "What did you do to your hair?"

His cheeks colored as he pulled her hand to release him and answered, "I should ask you the same thing." He took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down, knowing there was someone with her… and he clearly wasn't her type. He cleared his throat and asked, "Who's you friend.

She rolled her eyes and answered, "Friend is such a strong word. I would use body guard, but I won't. I call him Lurch- you'll see why soon enough, but his name is Hagi and he's actually my half-brother." They had already realized no one would believe he was her father, so telling them he was her brother made more sense.

They loaded the groceries into the car and headed to unload the groceries before they came to the shop.

~0~

Jack led the way inside and yelled out over the sound of the metallic clangs and the sound of the air compressor rattling on to tighten some lug nuts, "Hey! Look who I found!"

All heads shot up and beamed smiles at the same time. There were shouts and questions as they surrounded her, being cautious to pat her on the back or give high fives, but none hugged her.

Hagi watched from the background in curiosity. He noticed when one placed a hand on her back in an almost embrace. Her eyes grew cold briefly.

At that moment, an aging man with deep brown skin and shocks of thin white hair around his head appeared from the office. His thin black cane clicked against walls and items that sat on the floor, letting him know where to step. Mary Frances gasped. He looked as if he had aged 10 years.

His hand shook as he asked, "What's all that noise out here?"

She came to his side with tears in her eyes and whispered, "Daddy Green?" She came down to one knee in front of him and grasped his aging hand.

His head went up in surprise. Giving a wide grin, he greeted, "Hey Girlie!" His hand found her cheek and stroked it gently, "Where the hell have you been?"

She rolled her eyes and said, "You wouldn't believe me if I told you." When she came to her feet, the aging man wrapped his arms around her waist. She reluctantly embraced him back.

He then commented, "I'm glad you're back to keep these guys in line."

She smirked, "They been giving you trouble?"

"A little," he responded.

At his response, she snapped her head up and shouted, "Alright you grease monkeys, show's over! Get your asses back to work!"

They all went back to their jobs as she turned to Daddy Green and said, "Daddy Green, while I was gone, I met someone- he's related to me." She motioned for Hagi to come to her side. "This is my half-brother, Hagi."

The dark-skinned man smiled as he greeted the tall man, "Hello, Hagi, I'm Calvin Green."

"It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Mr. Green," the chevalier responded as he gave a formal bow.

The aging man raised a brow as he felt the strands of his hair brush against his hand. He began to run his hands over the taller man's arms, shoulders, and then face. Mary Frances explained, "He sees with his hands. He's just checking out what you look like."

Hagi bent down further to give the man better access. "Damn," he commented, "he's as tall as you, Girlie!" His hands moved over Hagi's face, "And he has the same nose and chin. The face is a bit longer and eyes are narrower, but the ears are the same as yours. That's a lot of similarities, Girlie. He's older, too."

She smirked, "Yeah. But we are completely different people."

His hands moved to the long locks of hair held by a ribbon in the back. He smirked, "I know someone that could fix this for you."

Hagi responded, "No thank you."

They stayed for a while before the shop began to shut down for the night. It was then, as they were getting a ride home that Hagi sprung a surprise on his daughter. They were quiet as he sat in the back seat and the two in the front of the car were stealing occasional glances full of lust.

He overheard Jack ask Mary Frances, "So how long is he going to be staying at you place?"

He answered before Mary Frances had a chance, "One week." This caused Mary Frances to turn and look at him in surprise. He elaborated, "Lulu will join her after that."

She glared at him, "Mr. David said that _you _were to watch over me."

He looked into her eyes and answered, "We should not discuss this here."

Glancing at Jack, she silently agreed and then articulated, "Fine, but you owe me an explanation."

They announced their arrival back at her apartment with a slam of the door. Hagi didn't startle or even flinch. This had been expected.

"What the _hell?_" she demanded. "You come here and tell me that you're supposed to watch out for me and then you just leave!"

He waited until she calmed down and explained, "I must go. Lulu will be fighting chiropterans made by your blood, Mary Frances. She can handle some of them, but not without help. She will be able to train you to fight while she is here with you. In six months, I will be able to take care of the situation in the eastern US. You and Lulu can handle the western US together."

She came to face him and pointed a finger in his face, "Admit it, you know you can't handle me."

His eyes narrowed as he noticed a movement to his left side. He caught her wrist as her hand was a mere centimeter from his face. With narrowed eyes, he said, "You have a lot to learn, princess."

~0~

The week went quickly as Mary Frances was now ignoring him completely. She would get up without a word and go wherever she felt like going. He opted to follow her at a distance and watch from the shadows.

Every night she seemed to head to the same place for about an hour. It was an apartment 5 miles from the shop. She would give a brief knock and get ushered in by a familiar bleached-haired man, usually shirtless.

Tonight was the last night he'd be there and she was in her customary place. Hagi couldn't hear the conversation, but he knew she was angry with him and taking it out on her lover.

Hagi cringed at the idea that this was his daughter and she was doing… that… with some guy that she was obviously not in love with. She hated being touched by him. Actually, she hated being touched by _anyone._

Disappearing into the night sky, he found solace in a park across the way and began to play in order to drown out the sounds that would make any father cringe in disgust- the sound of a man being pleasured by his daughter.

Something was changing in him. He could feel it. He never cared for anything anyone did unless it affected Saya, but now he was feeling protective over this girl. He had to get away before the attachment became something that would change him for good. She didn't need him and Saya would never forgive him if she found out. He planned to find the answer for this problem before they left the US.

Lulu would arrive in the morning and he'd be free. He should feel relieved, but somehow, he wasn't. He knew this feeling, it was guilt. Why should he feel guilty? The princess clearly was doing fine on her own and Julia would develop a serum soon enough.


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N Thank you to all you guys that are reading, following and especially reviewing. More action and drama coming your way. Please enjoy the latest update and don't forget to review! Thank you so much!**

Chapter 22- Secrets and Lies

_August 18, 2036, Upstate New York_

A lumbering brown beast crashed through the rotting barn, causing boards to fall all around it. The roof already had a few holes and with the violent movements of the creature was causing it to come down around it. The beast turned to fend off the 9-inch long silver daggers that were being thrown at it. It only saw a flash of black before everything went dark when two daggers found their marks- its eyes.

The darkly clad figure seemed to effortlessly dodge the pieces of the rotting roof as it feel around him. The beast was thrashing and swinging its dangerous clawed arms wildly, hoping to blindly connect the attack. As the dark figure drew back his hand, it transformed into a red, scaly claw before it came forward, only to be caught in the steely claw of the slobbering monster in front of him.

The monsters eyes had regenerated, but the figure did not even flinch. His porcelain skin was framed by ebony waves of hair as he stepped into the light that came through a now gaping hole in the roof. He suddenly leapt into the air, bringing one long leg around and slamming it into the creature's side. The creature roared in pain as it released his clawed hand.

Jumping back, he quickly assessed the situation. This was one of the chiropterans created with Mary Frances' blood and it had armored skin. Hagi quickly leapt forward and his clawed hand found the armored skin over and over in metallic clangs.

Once the beast was positioned in the right place, he jumped high into the air, landing gracefully in what was once a hay loft. The timbers were creaking in a weak protest at the weight of the man. The stoic face turned to the support beam he had hoped would have broken under the burden of his weight.

An unruly lock of hair fell into the center of his face, but did not obstruct the view of the beast as it found its footing… and the loft where the chevalier stood. It roared as it leapt up to join him. One support beam groaned and then splintered, causing the loft to sway. Hagi turned, flipping his bangs from his face as he crouched down to keep his balance on the swaying loft. If the other support beam gave out, the loft would fall, but the other beam held fast.

With a sudden burst, Hagi was on the other side of the loft, the heel of his steel boot slamming against the beam, causing it to split. A mighty rush of wind and the sound of tearing fabric signaled the release of his wings. Since the showdown at the Met, his lost wing had grown back, but both were now more heavily armored at the place where they emerged from between the shoulder blades. It was hard to negotiate a clear path for his wide wings amid the falling debris.

The beast roared as it fell with the loft with the entire loft all around it. It was now quiet save for the lowing of disturbed cattle outside. Plumes of dust seemed to separate as Hagi's dark form landed elegantly on the dusty floor. Before him lay the creature he had battled, impaled by numerous timbers and not yet dead.

He slowly unsheathed the long blade at his side in a smooth motion. His face was set as stone. The features held the beauty of a stone monument from a cemetery. His wings lent to the look of an avenging demon with an angelic face as he brought the long blade across the beasts throat in a swift motion. Blood sprayed in grotesque fountains as the beastly head fell away from the massive body.

The chevalier took a breath as his wings retracted and he moved toward what was left of the entry way. As he walked into the light of day, he looked down at his bloody sword and the daggers he had retrieved. This kind of clean up would require water- a stream or river would be best. He did not want to use the water supply for the cattle and end up contaminating them. For now, he slipped them back into his coat and the sword into its hilt, those items needed to be cleaned as well.

A quarter of a mile from the barn in the field, he found the place where he had found the chiropteran and thrown his cello case at it. It still rested there where it had landed. A few locals were standing at the fence, watching the odd-looking stranger as he shouldered the massive case and headed on his way.

It was nightfall once he had found a good place to wash everything. He allowed the night breeze to move through his raven strands of hair while he surveyed his surroundings. It was time he returned to LA and retrieve Mary Frances, but something was bothering the stoic man. He knew that he was obviously her biological father, but he still did not recall ever coming into any kind of contact with any human in the US or anywhere else for that matter. Was what Julia said possible? Could he have done something like that and out of remorse, blocked it from his memory?

His jacket was nearly dry as he leaned against the tree that held it. No one was around to see his expression that he still held, but he sighed in frustration as he pressed his head against the trunk of the tree. Thinking about this made him more anxious; he had to find some answers.

The gust of wind left by the small stream was the only evidence he'd been there. The jacket was gone with the cello that now held the cleaned long blade and many of the daggers. He always kept a handful of them on his person, just in case.

He pulled out his cell phone and called David to inform him that the last of the chiropterans on the east side of the US was just killed.

David answered gruffly, "Lulu has contacted us to let us know that she and Mary Frances have almost eliminated the threat from the west. She says the survivors have congregated in a rural area between Kansas and Colorado."

Hagi responded in his usual monotone, "Then her training has progressed well."

"Hagi, you were the one that was supposed to train her. None would have escaped if you were there and she would be trained better since her powers exceed Lulu's," David scolded.

"Lulu would not be capable of handling the chiropterans alone, David," Hagi corrected.

"We are aware of Lulu's abilities," he responded with a slight tone of irritation. "Joel is not thrilled with this situation, Hagi. You were to stay with Mary Frances to _protect _her. What would happen if Argiano or Smith tried to take her again? Do you think Lulu would be able to protect her alone?" He knew Hagi got the point. He added, "Mary Frances is to be protected at all costs, the same as the queens."

It was quiet for a moment. David knew the real reason for Hagi's disobedience. He also knew that he had no right to reprimand him. Hagi was a free agent, able to choose for himself. The chevalier was only bound to Saya and chose to help the Red Shield while she was asleep. "Hagi, you have been an invaluable asset to this organization. I just ask that, in the future, if you need us to change the way things work, let us know so we can make adjustments.

He ended the call as he made his way to the memorial he always frequented in New York. He passed a store and remembered what day it was. It was not in his nature to do these things for someone other than Saya, but then again, there were so many things going on lately that made him question everything he'd thought he'd known.

~Three days later in LA~

The smell of coffee and french toast filled the air in the small apartment as Lulu prepared to get cozy for a full day of cartoons. Mary Frances had noticed how much the small chiropteran liked cartoons and bought her the complete collection of Merrie Melodies, Tom and Jerry, and a few animes the girl seemed to like.

The fair skin, raven haired woman ran a hand through her short style as she thought about dying it, but found she'd rather leave it black. The look Lulu gave her when she purchased a pack of burgundy hair dye would have made a statue cry. She smirked as she thought, "_Speaking of statues, I wonder how Lurch is doing?"_

She brought Lulu back a tumbler full of blood with a curly straw before she went into the kitchen and took her birthday french toast and a mug of black coffee with her to her room. She smiled as she walked through the living room and said, "Thanks for the french toast and coffee."

"Happy birthday, Mary Frances," Lulu called back as one of the cartoons started up and the black out curtains were double checked.

Once she settled in at the computer and the machine fired up, she logged on to find an email from Kai that told her to open Skype. She smirked at the aging man came on the screen in front of her and smiled.

"Hey, Mary Frances," he smiled and then made some enthusiastic motions off screen. "We have a surprise for you!"

She grinned and asked, "Really?" Her hand found the gold pendant and chain at her throat and added, "More surprises?"

He scowled briefly as Riku, Kanade, and Hibiki squeezed together with Kai. Kai counted down and then they began to sing "Happy Birthday" in English.

She laughed at the sweetness of the gesture and the accents. When Riku slipped up, she almost snorted since it sounded like a swear word. "You guys really didn't have to do all this," she smiled as they finished the song, "but thanks anyway."

"You learned Japanese for us," Riku said.

She smiled sweetly and commented, "I don't know which gift I like more now."

The group looked at Kai with puzzled expressions, causing him to shrug. Riku leaned into the screen and asked, "You mean the pendant on your neck was a gift?"

"Yeah," she answered with a look of bewilderment on her face, "you mean you guys didn't send it?"

They all shook their heads and Riku commented, "It's a gold Japanese character that means 'Family'."

"It's really pretty," Hibiki noted. "You sure Lulu didn't give it to you?"

She shook her head. "It came in a box with a simple hand written note about family being there for each other." She rummaged around her desk and found the box, "Ah-ha!" She showed it to the screen.

The words were in English and she read it aloud, _"Family means always being there for one another and unconditional love."_ She added, "It doesn't have a return address or anything to show where it's from." She then added, "Besides, Lulu gave me Moses' scythe and helped me and Gary to design some new weaponry… not to mention, she made breakfast today."

While she spoke, Kai recognized the handwriting from a note that was left at Omoro once about taking the girls out to the park while Kai got dinner service ready at Omoro. He was interrupted when Kanade leaned forward and commented, "That looks like Uncle Hagi's handwriting."

Hibiki nudged her sister and smiled, "At least he'll give his daughter a gift. He only gave us Pocki on our birthdays."

"He gave us the swords," Kanade retorted as she stuck her tongue out at Hibiki.

Riku dramatically rolled his eyes and muttered, "…and it starts."

Kai was the only one that noticed the look of distaste on the princess's face as she removed the necklace and placed it on her dresser. He quickly shooed the quarreling group from the room. Once they were gone, he looked at her angry expression gazing away from the screen. "Mary Frances, I know he really screwed up, but he's trying. You need to give him a chance."

He could see the angry tears in her eyes as she responded, "I gave him a chance, he messed up. I gave him another chance and he left."

He ran a hand through his graying hair and said, "I know. You have to understand that this is all new to him. He's never done anything without Saya."

"He obviously did_ one_ thing without her,' she muttered.

"I know," Kai said sadly, "but you have to understand, he has only loved her his entire life and now he's faced with a monumental problem- he has this to explain to her. He'll be lucky if he comes back alive when she finds out."

She smirked, "Yeah, I get that." She looked off and murmured, "He didn't love my mom- he completely forgot her. Me- I'm just some fucked-up mistake." She stood on her feet and moved toward the bureau where she had placed the necklace and swiped it onto the floor. Again the tears were there but she refused to let them fall.

"Mary Frances…" Kai called, "…Mary Frances." When he got her attention, she swiped her arm under her eyes. "Listen to me! You may not have been planned, but you are no mistake. Don't do this to yourself. Yeah, your dad messed up and you may have come from that mistake, but that doesn't make you a mistake."

She held back the tears and then responded in a voice filled with pain, "Daddy Green says that all the time. He tells me 'Kids aren't an accident, they're a happy surprise.'"

Kai hit his fists on the table for emphasis and commanded, "Then listen to him!" He composed himself before he added, "Hagi… Hagi and I need to have a long talk when you guys get back here."

Once they both had cooled off a bit, she commented in a very cold voice, "Kai, if I didn't have Daddy Green anymore, I'm glad I'd still have you."

He smiled at this and briefly looked at the picture of his dad sitting on the corner of his desk. He thought, _"See that, Dad, I'm keeping the family together, just like you."_

He had to wipe a tear from his eye and clear his throat. He was suddenly slammed with the most pain filled emotion. His gaze turned to the screen to see her turn her head from the screen. The emotion was coming from her. He wondered, _Who are you Mary Frances, and why do you hurt so much?"_

She took a very deep breath and turned back to the screen with no tears or pain in her eyes. "Well, I do know one thing," she gave a watery smile, "I can suck it up and travel with him, but could you do me a huge favor, Uncle Kai?"

He smiled and answered, "No, Mary Frances, you need to stay with him." Before she could protest, he added, "It's not because I can't protect you or whatever lie the Red Shield may have concocted, but because I know that you two need each other."

She smirked in disbelief, "He needs me? What the hell does he need me for?"

He smirked back, "Because I've never seen that chevalier laugh or shout or show any emotion. I think it's about time_ someone _showed him how."

"You want me to get him to laugh?" she scoffed.

"It doesn't matter what you get him to do. The fact is, you are his flesh and blood and he needs to learn what a connection like that means. He needs to loosen up and learn to relax- I think you could teach him that."

"And what do I get?" she asked as she looked at Kai like the devil about to make a deal.

He leaned forward and made sure the kids weren't there, "You get to find someone that will stand by you, no matter what. I know you are lying about a lot of stuff and one thing you need above all else is love and protection."

She blinked with a look of shock briefly crossing her face. When it passed, her poker face came up. "What makes you think I'm hiding anything?"

"You seem to have pain and bitterness surrounding you like air. You may lie well, but those emotions can't be hid- not forever. You need to let someone into your world that can help you." He gestured around himself, "Look around you. I'm a human raising chiropteran queens, but they were babies when I got them. You have already grown up and answered your own questions- those answers that Hagi should have been there to give."

She nodded sadly as Kai clicked on something to the side. "I haven't read this," he informed. "I could, but it's not my place. Recently, Joel was going through some of the old papers from the Zoo that survived the fire. You know that your father was brought to the Zoo as a companion for Saya, but you don't know the details of his life before that."

She looked at him intently. "What do you mean?"

"What he was before he was purchased," Kai answered. "Amshel sent letters back to the Zoo as he traveled Europe looking for a 12-year-old boy that would suit their needs to breed Saya. It talks about the family Amshel observed for a month before he took your father from his family, giving them a loaf of bread as payment."

"So he had really shitty parents, too," she muttered.

"I don't know," Kai admitted. "I don't feel it's my place to read them. I felt only Saya should know… and you, but Joel and Julia have already read them. David says he won't and neither will the girls." The file pinged in her email as he finished, "I think you should get to know your father as he was, before all of this stuff happened to him."

She nodded and responded, "Guess I should get to reading. See you in a few weeks."

He nodded as the connection ended.

She looked at the file attached to the email and moved the mouse to click it, but stopped short. She wondered briefly, "_Do I really want to know?_" Answering her own question, she said, "I want this man out of my life and I just want everything normal again." She moved the cursor again and clicked it open. There were several letters and she was grateful that Amshel had decent handwriting.

She began reading a tale about a very poor family that traveled in a small caravan. The man Amshel had to follow them from place to place as they were kicked out wherever they went. The father was a terrible drunk. "A stout, dark haired, dark eyed, dark skinned man that suffered bouts of violence" was how he was described.

The mother had dark locks of straight hair and medium colored skin. She was tall and very beautiful with emerald green eyes and feet that rarely stayed home.

"The Boy" as Amshell referred to him, looked nothing like his elder siblings. They were dark skinned and ill-tempered. He was smart and had very light skin under his long raven hair. He had a quick hand and was able to pick pockets with an ease and grace his siblings did not possess. He would occasionally dance for crowds as well as sing.

The further she went into the story, the more she was shaking her head as she was enlightened to his reasoning for how he behaved around her. He had no idea how to be a father because he never had anyone that showed him. He was taken from a house with an absentee mother that used all her time to sell her body as a prostitute and his father was a useless drunk. Then he was placed in a mansion where they performed experiments… and he was to be nothing more than a stud.

She smirked evilly, "Now I know that secret… and another as well."


	23. Chapter 23- The Center

**A/N Hey all. Sorry I'm posting this so late. I have been really busy this week and today was really rough. Anyways, here it is and please make my day by leaving me a review! BTW, this is the chapter that explains Mary Frances' life at The Center and a little before too.**

Chapter 23- The Center

As the tall man made his way through the airport, he grabbed the strap of his cello case as he effortlessly pressed his way through the crowd of people. He was surrounded by humans from all races, shapes, and sizes. He didn't regard them, though as he was on his way somewhere. He remembered many years ago, he had been nearly blinded by his raging blood lust when he was in an airport in New York.

_It had taken him a year to tunnel out from under the Met, but he was still weak since he refused to kill any living thing to curb the raging hunger. He had taken from a few animals and even a couple of homeless humans sleeping on a park bench, but only what he needed to regenerate._

_The bit of cash he was lucky enough to find and the kindness of a manager of a storefront clothing shop. She had taken pity on him and gave him a hefty discount on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. Thankfully, his shoes were still intact, but worn pretty badly. He carried Saya's katana under his torn, burnt, and stained jacket he had wrapped it in. _

_Later that week, he found a Red Shield agent that helped them get the apartment they'd been staying in before the night at the Met. He had been given just enough blood to heal him; the man did not have more than one unit in stock. _

_Hagi informed him that he had to return to Okinawa immediately. The man warned him that he should go to another operative on the other side of the city to receive at least one more transfusion, but Hagi had to get back to Saya. He just had to be sure she was alright and give her some indication he was still alive so she would rest more easily in the knowledge she was protected._

_He walked into the airport not caring how he'd get the katana or his daggers through the stringent airport security. It was a certainty he would be stopped and possibly questioned at the very least for the weapons. If that happened, he'd probably be branded as some kind of terrorist and jailed, but he was determined to get back._

_The lack of proper feeding had made him irrational and he realized this the moment he stepped past the entrance and toward the throng of people that were in the lobby, waiting in line to purchase tickets. A red haze clouded his vision as he could hear the numerous throbbing heartbeats pounding in his ear in different rates, sounding like a massive roar in his head. _

_His blue eyes shut tightly as he dropped back against the wall. To the average person, he looked like some travel-weary tourist resting against the wall. How little they knew of the danger they were all in._

_The smell assaulted his nostrils with every breath- blood. His hunger gnawed at his body as his fangs worried his tongue and the back of his lips. He wondered briefly what he was thinking in coming here. His hands began to convulse as he used all his energy to restrain himself from grabbing the nearest human and draining it completely. A cold sweat broke out in large drops over his brow. He had to get out of here, but he could not find the energy to restrain himself and move at the same time._

_He suddenly felt a hand grab the crook of his elbow. He groaned as he had to use all his strength not to turn and savagely rip the throat of this person out and take his fill of the life force it contained._

_They were moving, but he knew not how or to where until he allowed his eyes to open a crack and took in that they had not only stopped, but they were in a room surrounded by white tiles and a number of sinks lining the wall._

_No longer able to restrain the blood lust, he lunged toward the sound of a click, where his rescuer stood locking the door. The flesh of the man's neck seemed familiar. The taste of his blood was like Saya's but different. It burned his throat as he gave a low growl of hunger, but it felt like it was from a time long ago. Memories of elegant balls and glittering jewels filled his mind. A beautiful woman that had Saya's round face and the same shape of the eyes danced with him. Her face seemed to be eternally joyful as waist-length curls of dark red hair fell in waves around her body. Her blue eyes glowed the way he remembered Diva's._

_Nathan gasped in pleasure. It wasn't as good as when a queen fed from him, but it still had the same effect on his body- especially since it was the very handsome Hagi that was feeding from him. He smirked wickedly at the reflection in the mirror. His dark hair was almost completely freed from that ribbon as his face was turned into Nathan's strong neck muscles._

_The blonde chevalier let his sky blue eyes roll back as Hagi took a particularly strong pull, causing Nathan to groan in pleasure. He had to stop this soon or the starving chevalier would take his immortal life. He sighed as he gently pushed Hagi back from him, looking into his half-lidded eyes that were glowing blue._

_Nathan chuckled as he watched the chevalier begin to understand what had happened. It was like watching a make-over show on television. Before his eyes, Hagi's dull hair became shiny, his emaciated face filled out, his skin went from grey to alabaster, and the hollows under his eyes were gone. Intelligence sparked in his eyes as they faded back to the usual blue-grey color._

_Hagi watched as the blonde haired man began to clean up the blood from his neck and mumbled, "Not a drop on my shirt. Pretty good for someone that never feeds on… well anything." He turned to the dark haired man that stood almost a head taller than himself, "You know, if you fed more often, you'd be a lot stronger."_

_Instead of answering, Hagi began to walk toward the door. Nathan stopped him with, "Hmm, I came here when I could sense you were weak and possibly dying. After all this you think you can just walk away like nothing happened?"_

_Hagi turned and asked, "What is it you want from me?"_

_Nathan cocked an eyebrow. "Aren't you the least bit curious as to how I survived?"_

_Hagi turned to face the locked door and answered, "No. It is obvious that since you survived Saya's attack that you were not Diva's chevalier. I do not know who your queen is, but I do know that you had planned to kill Saya. That's all that matters to me."_

_He returned to the operative and waited for the Red Shield to send a plane ticket and some decent clothing. He would return to Okinawa once he was feeling stronger two years later. He requested that only Joel and those that worked at Red Shield Headquarters know he was alive._

_Hagi had left after the altercation a bit wiser than he come. He also knew one thing, Nathan wasn't to be trusted. _

As he made his way to the other side of the crowd, he remembered how he had almost completely wiped out an airport. Making a mental note to thank Julia for regular transfusions, he handed his ticket to the man at the gate.

~0~

He walked down the streets of LA, toward the place he had not tried yet, The Center. He thought that it might be possible someone had been there long enough to remember Mary Reyes when she was a prostitute. Maybe someone was close to her that could tell him who the father of Mary Frances was.

The brown brick building stood in front of a playground, but there were kids all around the front of the building. There were some on skateboards and roller blades, sharing with those that had neither. Two women sat on the steps holding bottles of water that dripped in condensation. As Hagi made his way past them, they whistled their appreciation.

Ignoring them, he moved past the doors to the entry hall where more women and children were headed outside. Two teens were sitting against the wall sharing their music.

"Can I help you?" a stern woman's voice asked. He turned to see a rather slim, dark skinned woman with nearly black eyes looking him up and down. Her face was stern as she waited for an answer. Her glasses rested on the end of her nose as she commented, "We don't want any trouble here."

Hagi answered her, "My name is Hagi. I am looking for someone that may have known Mary Reyes- the original owner of The Center."

The woman seemed to be biting the insides of her cheeks as she responded, "Uhm-hmm." When he didn't seem to show any reaction, she shifted her weight to the other foot and asked, "Is there a last name or is Hagi your street name?"

"It is my given name," he responded coldly. "I was adopted by the Goldschmidt family many years ago."

"Goldschmidt…" she responded vaguely and then seemed to momentarily be lost in thought. She then added, "As in- Joel Goldschmidt- the very wealthy and powerful family in France?" Hagi gave a small nod as she continued, "I worked on the New York stock exchange until I retired in 2027 when I came to work for Mary Reyes."

Hagi looked at his feet for a moment before he asked, "Did she ever give you any information about her daughter, Mary Frances?"

She looked at him as if he'd grown two heads. "Mary Frances?" she asked. "No, I was just an assistant financial adviser. I do know we were all shocked when she gave up The Center."

Hagi looked at her and waited for her to elaborate.

"When Ms. Reyes became ill, her daughter was sad that she was losing her mother, but she was excited to be taking over in her mom's place. She told us it had been her life's dream. About six months after her mom died, she befriended a young woman that her mother looked after. Poor thing was nothing but 13 years old and scared to pieces."

"The girl followed Mary Frances like a shadow for about half a year before she just disappeared. The next day, Mary Frances sold The Center and became a truck driver. It's really odd, but I talked to Mr. Green who seems to still be in contact with the Mary Frances, but I don't know what happened to the girl. Unfortunately that does happen from time to time, they end up going back to their pimp or a john that promises them a better life. "

Hagi found this odd. If they were so close, wouldn't Green know what happened to the companion? Hagi gave a slight nod and asked, "Is there anyone that was around them?"

The woman looked at him seriously and asked, "What is your interest in either of them?"

"I am Mary Frances' father," he admitted.

The woman sat down on the bench behind her. "Her father," she muttered. "It isn't often that we have men come in here and claim they are the father of any of the kids here."

Hagi waited as she took a moment to understand that he was not here to hurt anyone, just find some answers.

After the woman recovered from the surprise, she directed him to a room at the end of the second hallway. He arrived to a partly opened door and the sound of someone humming a lullaby to the baby on her shoulder.

He rapped on the door frame, causing the woman's attention to turn to the door. She opened the door slightly wider and peered at him with nervous eyes. She had been through too many beatings at the hands of her pimp to trust any man, let alone one that was as tall and serious looking as this one.

Her hair was completely straight and nearly white from the bleach she used in it. Her skin was lightly tanned and her tight blue blouse hung seductively over her large breasts. She held the infant protectively as she warned, "If you're Monte, you need to leave. Mrs. Polk will throw you out. She's got her boy Aiden working in maintenance here."

Hagi responded, "I am not Monte. My name is Hagi and Mrs. Polk sent me to speak with you about Mary Frances Reyes and her companion."

She looked him up and down and asked, "You a cop?"

"No," he answered flatly. He felt no one else was in the hall and answered lowly, "I am her father."

Her eyes opened wide before she moved out of the door way and let him inside. The smell of fear ebbed in the room. It brought back a memory of Mary Frances shrinking from any embrace and wondered if it was a learned behavior. These women seemed to frightened of men.

She placed the baby in a bassinet and sighed, "You scared me. I thought Tyshira's pimp was coming to finish the job he'd done on her." She motioned to the chair and requested, "Please sit down. It may not be pretty, but it's kinda comfortable."

Hagi placed the cello case on the floor next to the chair and had a seat. It was a worn out green and had a spring poking from under it, causing his weight to favor one side. She was wrong- this chair was really not comfortable, but he did not show it.

She asked, "You want coffee?"

"No, thank you," he answered as he shifted a bit, causing the springs in the chair to squeak in protest.

Water?" she asked. When he didn't respond, she returned with a glass of water and lots of ice. As she handed it to him, she commented, "Summer's a real bitch here. I can't believe you're wearing a suit."

"I am accustomed to extreme temperatures," he responded in his usual monotone.

She nodded with a raised eyebrow, "Shit, I'm not. I think I'd melt in shorts and a t-shirt. It must be at least 100 out there."

He only nodded as he regarded the drink in his hand.

"You look like her," she suddenly said.

He nodded. It wasn't the first time he had heard this.

"Have you talked to her?" she asked.

He nodded again.

"Where did she go?" she asked.

He blinked and wondered, _"Why doesn't she know?"_ He responded, "She became a truck driver."

"You mean like Mary Frances?" she asked, not noticing the look of confusion on her guest's face. "They were always really close- like sisters."

"Who are you referring to?" he asked, not wanting to believe what she meant.

She blinked in confusion, "The girl, of course." She then added as she began rummaging through a stack of papers in a large box by the television, "I always wondered why she'd leave Mr. Green. She seemed so fond of him- and him of her."

After a while, she called out, "Ah-ha!" as she held a photograph in her hands gently, as if it were made of something precious. When she came to him, he realized there was a copy of the photograph framed on the wall he hadn't noticed earlier.

At this close proximity, he could examine the features of the two girls. The one on the right wore a sweet, genuine smile, but the other held a shy, damaged expression as her smile seemed to be non-existent.

The one on the right had red, short hair that matched her eyebrows. Her brown eyes danced in happiness and ambition. Her face was more angular and her nose was more stubby and button-like. This was the real Mary Frances Reyes. The two did not look all that different from far off and they were the same height.

The sad girl on the left stole his attention. Her skin was so light that it almost glowed in the sunlight and her raven hair fell in waves down her shoulders and ended in a wide curl at her slender waist. One ebony strand even fell to the left side of her slender, long nose in a small curl. Her brown eyes were a bit wider that his own and looked into the camera in an almost angry, defiant look- the way he looked the first day he came to the Zoo. That face! It was the same face he had been following. This was his daughter.

Hagi looked up at her and demanded, "Who is she? Tell me everything you know about her."

It alarmed the woman. She wasn't sure what had bothered her, but she could sense this man rarely showed any kind of emotion and the passionate outburst seemed out of place.

She explained, "I don't know much. We found her on the steps of The Center September 2033. She told us she had no parents and kept crying that she didn't want to go back. We think she was talking about her pimp. From the look of her, she'd been treated pretty bad."

Noticing his nod, she continued, "Ms. Reyes took her into her room and cared for her, but the girl never let anyone touch her anyway. The girl would go into hysterics if she was touched- he must have beat her. Ms. Reyes told us what she had found out about the girl everyone called 'Girlie'- Mr. Green gave her that name. She explained that Girlie came from somewhere other than the US because she was afraid of being deported. It's why we think she's a victim of human trafficking. They had taken her from her home when she was only 12 years old."

She winced as she remembered she was talking to the girl's father. She asked carefully, "Are you sure you want to hear this?"

He gave her a serious look as he took in the horror story of the pretty girl in the photograph that was obviously his daughter. The question is, where did she come from?

She continued slowly, "We know she was hooking… er… prostituting to survive. She must have been abused in so many ways. We think she killed her pimp to get away- when we found her, she was covered in blood."

She looked down at the ground, "I don't want to tell you the rest…" She couldn't look up and see the cold look on his face. If this was her father, the last part of this story would surely kill him.

He demanded in a monotone voice, "I asked for everything you know."

She gave a shaky sigh and kept her eyes on the floor. She winced as a tear fell and her eyes closed tight, "She was on the steps… she was crying on the steps that night. Lightening kept flashing as we could hear her sobs through the rain. Ms. Reyes ran and threw open the doors to find this poor, beautiful creature curled into a ball on the steps. She was only wearing a torn, over-sized t-shirt. She cried… she screamed… blood…" she whimpered. She then took a breath, "She was pregnant. The baby was still-born… I'm… I'm sorry."

The woman cried for a time as Hagi sat in the chair in complete shock. Not only was the girl lying about who she was, where she was from, her age, and even her name- she was really this girl that had been through hell. He had been in denial over being a father, but now he had to wrap his mind around the fact that his daughter had been a prostitute and almost had a baby.

It was too much. He rose to leave quickly, causing her tear-stained face to turn to him. "Can you tell me what happened to her? Is she okay and what is her real name?"

Hagi didn't look back as he shouldered the cello case and placed the full glass of water on the table. He responded, "She is alive. I thank you for all you have told me, but I have no more information that I can give." His hand moved to place the photograph by the glass of water.

"No." Her comment stilled his hand. She commanded through her drying tears, "You keep it. Show her that we remember her and we miss her just as much as we miss Mary Frances."

Hagi nodded and kept his serious expression. He bowed quickly and left the room and The Center.

He had to get to the shop and to Calvin Green. It was obvious the man knew all this time who he was really looking after. The man had answers and Hagi needed to know what those answers were.


	24. Chapter 24- Goodbye

**A/N Well, it looks like Mary Frances isn't really Mary Frances after all. Decided to do another double update this week since these chapters go together. Please be kind and review!**

Chapter 24- Goodbye

"_It's why he never called her Mary Frances. He knew who she really was," _the chevalier thought as he quickly made the three miles in a very fast walk. It was taking all his restraint to keep him from using his powers to arrive there immediately.

The closed hurricane fence was easily jumped over, even with the burden of the cello case on his shoulder. Jumping fences- even if they were 10 feet high and framed with razor wire, were nothing to this chevalier. He never looked to see the sign posted on the fence in his eagerness for answers, nor did he see the wreath hanging with white flowers.

He then began to wonder at the quietness of the lot. There was not a soul in sight or the movement of anything, save the occasional piece of trash that blew by in the wind. It was odd because Hagi knew this was a weekday and any thriving business would be open today.

He had a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach as he came to the back of the shop and found the garage doors all closed. He could sense the presence of a number of people inside the building along with that oh so familiar presence of the girl. Luckily, a door at the back of the shop was partly opened. He slipped inside and stayed to the shadows, knowing that the raw emotion the girl was holding back was keeping her from sensing his arrival.

The mechanic he remembered as Gary was standing next to a car he had been working on with tears on his face and more in his eyes. Jack, now sporting completely black, spiked hair was standing near the girl, trying to comfort her without embracing her. She stood in silence, wearing a black, sleeveless shirt and black jeans with leather boots as a single tear rolled down her cheek and she sniffed back more.

Everyone was in black, even the small, balding man that stood in front of everyone. He was speaking about some legal matters regarding the buildings, but Hagi noticed the one person he was looking for was missing.

The lawyer then stated, "The matter of the shop and the lot, as well as the towing company: the money from Calvin Green's life insurance policy has paid them off. The buildings, cars and all contained are all distributed in his will."

He then pulled out a crisp sheet of paper from the briefcase at his side and began to read, "I Calvin Green, being of sound mind…"

The voice went on in the background as the girl now looked up at the lawyer and seemed to be numb. Hagi could see the look in her eye and sensed the raw emotion underneath. She was scared. It was at this point, he began to understand- she's only 15 years old. She pretends to be older, but she's really just a child.

She had been a daughter of a reformed prostitute. She was a truck driver that fixed cars. Now she was a complete mystery. He didn't even know her name now. He did know her age and thought about what she must have faced. When she was 13, she had to face the world by herself and then lost her only companion in that same year.

He was brought back to the current situation as the lawyer cleared his throat and announced, "To my faithful master mechanic, Gary Charleston, I leave the auto shop. He is the only person that has the knowledge to run it and the necessary capabilities to fix anything that comes in there."

"The house, I leave to my son Calvin Green Junior plus any of the money that is left over from paying off the buildings and all the bills. To my only son, I also leave the towing business and the lot with the working cars and trucks."

The lawyer paused as his brow furrowed and he looked up briefly to the group in front of him. Calvin Green was a very smart man. He was certain that any business he started was very self-sustaining. The insurance policy was a very generous amount and he knew that his family and his employees would be well cared for.

He finished with the last bit that had him puzzled as the person named had no last name, just this nickname, "Lastly, to my adopted daughter, Girlie, I leave to you the truck that I gave you and the business you started. There is an account that holds the money from this business. My lawyer will give you this information and a last letter to you. I also leave to you all the non-working cars, trucks, bikes, and any other item from the lot that no longer works. Run your business, Girlie."

The girl gave a watery smile and turned to the office, exiting the room quickly. It was obvious she was about to break down. Jack followed her as the lawyer finished with well wishes as he left the shop.

Hagi decided it was time to leave. He would get no answers here as he knew the mechanics that worked there had been hired in the past year… Stopping mid-step, Hagi turned and looked back at the shop and recalled that Gary was the mechanic that helped the girl fix up that shiny, black rig that sat in its customary space on the lot. He had been there when she and Mary Frances left The Center.

~0~

The girl held the envelope in her hand loosely as she made her way back to her apartment. She took a different way home, letting tears fall from her eyes. Her arms went around herself, offering comfort to herself and feeling quite alone. The man she thought of as a father was now dead and she had to face the future all alone again.

Lulu was nice, but she would have to go back to Virginia. Now she'd have to go back to Okinawa for god knows how long. At least she had Kai, the twins, and Riku. Her lip twitched into nearly a smile for a moment as she thought of Dr. Mui. She didn't know why, but the sweet words she had told her that day brought her comfort.

When she arrived home, she opted to pull out a cigarette as she read the letter. It was a banking statement for an account. She set that on the concrete under her knee to keep it in place. She then pulled out the letter and read:

_Hey Girlie,_

_By now, I'm certain that you are planning on going back with "your half-brother." You should be with your family as I know you can't be more than 16 years old. Don't worry, your secret's safe. I told Gary to watch over your baby (the truck) while you're gone._

_I know you are really pissed off right now and you have every right to be pissed off. He left you to fend for yourself and you ended up getting hurt. But you gotta give him a change, girl. After all, he IS your father._

_Yeah, I know, you wanna deny that, but you can't fool this old man. I could feel that vibe coming off him. He may not be 100% about you yet, but he still feels the need to protect you. Don't roll your eyes and don't give me your smart-ass mouth! I know he had to have fucked you over royally to be so far on your shit list, but let me tell you- you need him and he needs you._

_I tell you, Girlie, you have been a bigger pain in the ass than my own son, but I still love you like you were my own. For once, listen to me and let your old man look after you. You fuck up too much when you do things on your own._

_Your business will still run while you're gone. Jack says that he'll sell the parts and do all the other stuff, but he's gonna ship them. That's why you see his name on the account, too. As for Jack and you, I want you guys to cool it until you are 18- REALLY 18! If you are still interested in each other, he needs to ask your old man and then you guys can plan to have kids._

She snorted and was about to say something, but her eyes caught the rest.

_For once, act like a lady! Stop scoffing at the idea of marriage! I know how he reacts to you and I can hear it in your voice when you talk to him. There's something there and he really likes you- even if you are a total bitch sometimes. _

_You will always be the most amazing person I have ever met. Please do as I say for once and BE GOOD! I hope I'll see you on the other side someday, but not anytime soon. Let that old man of your take care of you and stop insulting him!_

_Love,_

_Daddy Green_

She thought she'd cry after reading that farewell letter, but instead, she was laughing. He knew her so well. He scolded her every time she made a face or was about to say something- and he wasn't even here.

The horrible weight then returned as she felt a cold chill wash over her. She was alone again. Her eyes scanned over the letter again and again and tears seemed to be stuck in her eyes. She couldn't even cry.

Lulu noticed the return of the princess and peeked out the window onto the heavily shaded porch. The woman shivered and Lulu could sense the despair coming off her. She looked down sadly and then her head came back up. The kettle was still on the stove since she had warmed a bag of blood in the heated water earlier. She discovered it tasted better warmed. Hurrying through the preparations of Mary Frances' favorite tea, Lulu gave a cheerful smile as she rushed to the bedroom and rummaged through the clothes carefully.

"Ah-ha!" she cried triumphantly as she found a white, long sleeved shirt that was torn in many places and frayed in others. It displayed a fading red dragon on the front- Mary Frances' favorite shirt. She hurried back to the kitchen to retrieve the tea and then headed to the porch.

Mary Frances sat there, looking out into the small flower bed below. She gave a heavy sigh as Lulu donned her hood and brought the shirt and set the tea beside her. "Mr. David called. He says Hagi eliminated all the chiropterans on his side."

Mary Frances nodded absently as she finished her cigarette and pitched it. She then pulled the long sleeved shirt over herself and took a sip of her tea- perfect. Too bad the conversation was on Lurch and The Red Shield.

Her hands shook as she tried to relax and not start sobbing like a damn girl. Choosing her usual method of relaxing, she pulled out another of her long cigarettes and lit up. She took a long drag before she asked, "So, if he's done over there where is he?"

Lulu looked down and responded, "I'm sure he's already here."

She smirked as she flicked an ash. "Good," she muttered. At Lulu's expression on confusion, she explained, "He's not coming back. That means I frightened him off- or pissed him off. I don't care which. He's gone and that's the end of it." She took another long drag and then exhaled a puff of smoke that was carried off by a breeze that blew through the porch.

Lulu didn't argue. She knew Hagi would be back whether Mary Frances wanted him back or not. She then asked, "How was the funeral?"

She took a deep breath to calm her nerves and then responded, "Like any other funeral." She leaned forward with the cigarette still dangling from her mouth as she spoke **(yep, that's the image for this story)**, "I wish you were coming with me, Lulu. Can't Lurch stay with the CIA and you come back to Okinawa?"

She laughed and answered, "Lewis is cool with just about everyone, but I think his boss would be totally pissed that I was replaced by someone that rarely talks."

The tall girl rose to her feet and headed into the apartment with her tea in hand. She pitched the spent cigarette and waited for Lulu to follow her inside. She grabbed the fax papers off the table and headed for her room, calling back, "We leave for Virginia in two days. I'll be spending tomorrow night at Jack's. If Lurch isn't back by then, he gets to find his own way to Virginia."

She was going to deliver a beat up old clunker to a man in Virginia. He was one of those guys that collected classic cars and knew how to fix them up. He was paying her $!5,000 to buy it and have it delivered to him.

She gave a look at the fax in her hand. It was beaten and torn as it had been in her possession since she had last been in Okinawa. Knowing what it contained, she smirked.

~0~

The Okamura's were back in Vietnam, waiting to question the doctor that had sent them the information. They had to contact Dr. Julia about the situation. Even though the child born at the hospital was dead, the case still continued. They had found a possible father… and it was someone they knew. Mao just didn't understand what had happened to the first fax they sent.

The problem was that since no one really kept records of who came and went, they had nothing to go on… until now.

A doctor that had been adamant that the background of the mother and child should at least be discovered, had contacted them with something she had found. It seems the hospital kept video surveillance of the area since they had some nurses that were stealing supplies in 2007. Ever since then, they kept the surveillance system going.

They had to do it under the guise of working as the cleaning crew, but they obtained the videos in question. The doctor made certain to make the storage room where the old videos were archived were part of the rooms these particular janitors cleaned.

Mao was pacing the room as she spoke to Dr. Julia. She ran a hand through her hair as she took a breath. She then said, "This is really gonna suck for Saya. Not only has Hagi been proven the father of Mary Frances, but now… this."

She glanced at the surveillance footage of the front desk, just a few meters from room 602. The date and time stamp were 03/23/2020 20:24. Mao related what she was seeing to Dr. Julia over the phone as Okamura sat in the hotel chair and ran a hand through his hair.

He had seen this four times now and still hated to believe it. He was watching a guilty man walk across the screen and it brought back painful memories. He murmured, knowing his wife wouldn't hear, "When she sees this, she'll kill him."

He recalled a day in 2018, when Mao had done the same.

_She came home._

_As always, she placed her designer purse on the hook._

_She came into the room and removed her clothing and took off to the bathroom._

_He rose to his feet with a heavy heart and dragged himself to the bathroom door. Turning the knob, he could hear her humming as she stepped into the steaming water. She was trying to wash away the smell, but he knew._

_He sat on the toilet and let a tear fall from his eye. He wanted to yell… to scream… to tear her cheating ass apart. He couldn't do anything but cry. He had known for a few months now. Kai couldn't hide anything well- not now or ever. _

_He broke into silent sobs. He hated her and he loved her. That was the extent of their relationship. It wasn't long after they came back from the US in 2007 that he realized he couldn't live without her._

_Finally, he dried his face and cleared his throat. "How long?" he asked._

"_How long for what?" she asked sweetly._

"_You and Kai," he elaborated. "How long were you going to hide this from me?"_

_She fell to her knees and let the shower drench her head as shocked tears leaked from her eyes. Why deny it now? The secret was out. She found Kai in a moment of weakness for both of them and now it was time to pay the fiddler. _

_She continued to ask herself several questions as she turned off the shower and grabbed a towel. Why did she continue the affair? She knew Kai would never want her in the way she wanted him, but she had learned to love Okamura- in a way. _

_She was now completely out of the shower and standing before him in nothing more than a towel. Looking contrite, she informed him, "I really don't know why it happened, but I've never been so sorry." She took a deep breath as tears fell and said, "Kai was drowning his sorrows at a bar and you and I had a fight… I just don't know…" _

_She turned and pressed her forehead to the wall and grumbled, "It was so stupid! He never stopped talking about Carrie and then about Saya…" _

_Her scruffy looking husband only nodded and then he turned his sad brown eyes to her and asked, "Is it over?"_

_She hiccoughed as she tried to keep back a sob. His tears were her undoing. She fell into his embrace and cried, "It was over last week. She found out and… a-a-and she kicked me out of her house. K-K-Kai wouldn't even look at me."_

"_So where were you?" he asked._

"_Getting hammered," she admitted. "But all I could think of… was you. How hurt you'd be that I did this."_

_They never spoke of it again and the affair ended as abruptly as it began. He and Mao had a silent understanding that there would never be a repeat of the situation._

Mao didn't yell at him for once when he reached for a smoke. The tall man passed across the screen, wearing nearly all black and carrying a large cello case on his back, the same metal design as Hagi's.

"Julia," Mao said, "when I first saw this, I nearly threw up." Her eyes cut to her husband for a moment and her voice became soft. "He goes into room 602 at 8:24 pm and comes back out in 30 minutes."

Before Julia could respond, she said something else, "And that's not the only time! There's at least 7 more occasions that are on video. He never signs the visitor's log and each time, it's 30 minutes and he's gone."

Julia sighed in exasperation and asked, "Are you sure it's him?"

In the next image, it shows the chevalier leaving, his eyes focused ahead of him. There was no mistaking it. "Yes, it's him."

"How many more lovers and daughters is he keeping under wraps?" Okamura asked from the chair.

When Julia hung up with Mao, she was nearly in tears. How in the world was she going to explain this to Hagi? They had found out that he was the father of yet another child. That meant his memory was blocked, but what would cause him to do this at regular intervals? According to the fax Mao sent, he visited every other year on March 23rd around 8:30 in the evening. She knew that was because visiting hours ended at 9pm, but the date. What was so important about March 23rd?

She wished she would have saved more of the ashes from the dead child. She didn't have enough to perform a DNA analysis to prove he was the father. But the footage didn't lie and the timing was right.

She lit a cigarette and spoke out loud, "Hagi what have you done?" The Okamuras were on this story in their spare time. This was not something they would lie about and they were just as broken up about this as she was. Telling Kai and the twins would just cause more turmoil and they didn't need that.

Hagi and Mary Frances would be back in a few days. If Mary Frances was upset about the news he was her father, how would she react to the thought that she had a dead half-sister in Vietnam he had abandoned as well?

~0~

The lone figure stood at the edge of the public park. Tonight was their last night in LA and Mary Frances was more than a block away, saying goodbye to Jack in her own way. He had not announced that he was back and knew Mary Frances… or whoever she was… didn't know he was back. He leapt to a tree as a couple came by, holding hands.

He would make his appearance tomorrow and they would all leave together. Gary had arranged for her to drive her rig along with him and Lulu to Virginia where she was to deliver some wrecked car to someone Hagi thought had a mental defect. Why would anyone pay so much for a junked car? Gary had someone arrange to pick up the truck and drive it back to LA.

As the sun just came above the horizon, he heard the conversation of the two as they came to the porch of his place.

~0~

The now black haired man came to the porch, following the object of his affection. She was leaned against the rail with her very short skirt revealing her long, beautiful legs. She had her ample bust pressed to the top rail, causing her cleavage to be even more revealed. When she leaned forward, the base of her butt cheeks were revealed to him. His breathing hitched as he thought about not seeing her again for who knows how long.

He blinked back tears as his eyes came to her face. She was looking off into the distance, the orange ember of her cigarette burned brilliantly as she sucked in a breath of smoke. Her eyes were so amazing, She was so amazing.

He came to her side and mentioned, "I'll miss you."

They both continued to stare at the rising sun as her mouth only opened to exhale smoke. Her eyes became narrower, as if she was trying to see something off in the distance.

"MF," he said as he turned her to himself and pressed a very passionate kiss to her mouth. His tongue caressed her lips. She responded in kind by grabbing the back of his head and pressing her tongue into his mouth.

They kissed for a while as their hands moved all over each other. Just as he was beginning to feel a bit warm, she pulled away. "I have to go."

He ran a hand through his hair and argued, "No. I won't let you go like this. I want you to tell me what you feel about me."

She blinked as she looked at him. "Look Jack," she started, "I told you that I cannot love anyone. Sorry to burst your bubble, but I can't love you." She grabbed her bag as she watched his heart shatter.

As she came to the door, he slammed it shut with tears streaming down his face. His voice was hoarse as he spoke, "I love you. I don't care who knows and I don't care what the fuck they think. I want to be with you- always. When you go to Okinawa in a couple of days, the first thing you'll find there is a letter from me. I will write everyday and I don't give a damn if you write back because I will never give up. I want you and only you. If I have to marry you, I'll do it."

She shook her head, overwhelmed by this sudden display. "Jack, you have to let this go- before you get hurt."

She patted his shoulder as she walked out the door and casually said, "It's just sex."

She was already walking away as he shouted after her, "It was never just sex- not for me. I swear to you MF, I will never stop. If I have to burn in hell for all eternity just to have you, then I will." His voice broke as he ended with, "I will always love only you, Mary Frances."

She kept her back to him as she continued on her way with tears streaming down her face. Only when she was around the corner, away from his line of vision, did she allow her shoulders to shake and her sobbing to commence.

**A/N Oops! Looks like Hagi wasn't the only one stepping out, huh? Was Hagi stepping out at all? Only way to find out is to review. I type faster with reviews!**


	25. Chapter 25- Burning Bridges

Chapter 25- Burning Bridges

Tears streamed down her face as she made her way back. She would dash them away only to have more follow them. She angrily wiped her eyes as she came to the front of the complex. Her mind returned to all those moments where she hid her feelings from Jack. Tears turned to sobs as she dashed into the mail room as the sun rose.

Distant clouds had moved in and were now dropping thick drops of rain as she leaned against the mail room wall with her hands covering her face. Now she was crying as her heart shattered. Allowing herself this moment of release, she kept on crying for a moment. She would miss Jack more than she wanted to ever admit, but her heart still couldn't handle the loss of Daddy Green. Even as he came to her mind, she covered that thought, knowing she couldn't handle it now.

As her sobs subsided and her sniffles became less frequent, her ears caught a distant melody. Rolling her eyes, she continued to sniff. She muttered, "About time your bony ass showed up." Her mind followed the sad song that emitted from the cello the chevalier played.

She knew that he must be under her porch since it was raining and a good musician would never ruin his instrument by playing in the rain. Even better, the tears she had cried would be washed away by the rain. She took her time making her way back to the apartment that had been packed away and ready to go.

She was drenched as she made her way to the stairs, where the music was clearly coming from. As her heels kept a rhythm to the music, she began to concentrate on covering her presence.

Recalling how Nathan taught her the trick on one of his visits to the facility while the other princesses were there. He seemed sad that the others couldn't seem to get it, but she did. Knowing he could not sense her, but still hear her, she reached down and removed her heels. Allowing them to dangle from her left hand, she moved silently up the steps.

As usual, he was lost in that same song. His body moved only the minimal amount it took to create the beautiful music. She smiled wickedly as she noticed his back was to the stairs as he faced the rising sun that was hidden behind the clouds. She held her breath as she inched closer to the stoic man's back and the ebony waves of hair tied with a blue ribbon.

Hagi was in the depths of the melody as he wondered what was keeping that princess. Lulu had informed David that they would be leaving at 10 am today. He had been playing since 6 am and was starting to wonder if he should go back to Jack's and see if she was still there. His eyes snapped open and narrowed as the twittering bird songs suddenly stilled and the sweet morning breeze brought her scent to him. She was returning.

He didn't know she was already behind him. She smirked even more as she fisted the ponytail and pulled his head back roughly, causing the chair to tilt back on two legs and a terrible shriek came from the cello as the bow was drawn awkwardly across the strings. She noticed the quick look of surprise pass quickly before it turned to an angry glare. "I guess I do like this ponytail after all, Lurch," she informed as she released him, being gentle enough to allow the chair to come back to four legs without harming the cello.

He said nothing in reply, but was a bit surprised as he felt a low growl rumble in his own chest. She certainly knew how to try his patience. She seemed to have missed his sudden display of outrage since she was already inside greeting Lulu.

As Hagi walked through the apartment, he noticed many things were already missing. Her large television, many of the devices that surrounded it, and a few of the kitchen items that had been displayed were gone.

"She already sent that stuff to Kai," Lulu informed. The lavender haired girl came to Hagi's side and hugged his middle, "It's good to see you again."

The sudden display of affection brought a small curve to his lips. He then let it fall and answered, "I am glad that we are going back. Saya will awaken soon."

Lulu nodded and pulled back from the hug as she heard Hagi continue, "I am grateful to Kai. She will be in good hands at Omoro."

Lulu frowned and looked up at her mentor in confusion. "Are you talking about Mary Frances?" At his nod, she laughed and explained, "No. Kai is just getting her stuff arranged at _your _apartment. She's only going to be staying at Omoro for two weeks- when Saya wakes up."

Hagi's brow furrowed, "Surely there has been a mistake… I must…"

Lulu stilled him as a hand went to his sleeve. "Hagi, she's _your_ daughter, not Kai's. Besides, you have a two bedroom apartment and plenty of room. Aside from all that, you are the best person to protect her."

She noticed Hagi's jaw set strongly as he asked, "How did Kai get the key to my apartment?"

"He got it from Joel, asshole!" a voice responded from the bedroom. She poked her head out of the bedroom and glared at him. "It seems I will be staying with you, but I just want my room to myself and you to stay the hell out of it!"

Her head disappeared once again and Lulu watched with widening eyes as Hagi moved toward the bedroom. No one was allowed to bother Mary Frances while she was in her bedroom and Hagi was headed straight for trouble. When she caught the determined look on his face, she backed off. There was about to be a showdown and she wanted no part of it.

~0~

She had set out her clothes the night before on night stand. As she turned toward the restroom, she nearly smacked into the man she'd rather not have in her room. She simply dodged him and went into the restroom.

She nearly had the door shut when she felt him grasp the door and say "We need to talk."

She pulled her shirt off to get him to understand she was about to become indecent, but the stoic expression remained. Giving a feminine gasp of fake shock, she pushed him out of the door saying, "A little privacy, if you please, _sir_."

The door was closed in his face and the lock clicked. He remained there as he heard the squeak of the knobs before the sound of running water came through the walls. He finally spoke plainly, knowing she could hear, "I visited The Center recently."

He heard her nonchalant response, "So?"

"I spoke with someone named Iris," he informed. When she did not respond, he added, "She gave me a photograph of you… and Mary Frances."

After a breath, she came blazing from the bathroom, wrapped in nothing more than a towel and already wet all over. She backed him into a wall as she glared at him with fire in her eyes. "Where is it?" she growled.

As he produced the photo, her look softened into a pain-filled expression of someone that had lost their entire world. He allowed a frown to etch his features as his brows came together, "Who are you?"

Every word of that question was a dagger into her heart. Her early life that was locked away deep inside- never to see the light of day, flashed before her eyes. She coldly responded, "No one."

She moved along the side of the bed and allowed the photo to casually fall on the bed next to where she sat. Her face fell into her hands as she sighed sadly.

He blinked and then asked in a softer tone, "Where are you from?"

She turned her red, tear-filled eyes to him. "Does it fucking matter?" Turning her eyes to the picture, she said, "Ms. Reyes took me in and raised me like I was her own. She knew she was dying, so she made sure that Mary Frances and Daddy Green were there for me." Her tears fell as she turned to the window and groaned, "Dammit, Mary Frances, why'd you have to leave me with all this shit?"

Hagi took a seat on the other side of the bed. "What happened to her?" he asked as his gaze never left the picture.

"She had HIV, too," she responded sadly. "She didn't want anyone to panic. Knowing that they had no one to pass The Center on to, Mary Frances decided to sell to the city before she got really sick." She turned to him and said, "She died the night before they came."

He reached into his pocket and produced a handkerchief. He nodded for her to continue the story.

She gave a small nod of gratitude and continued the tale, "We were all alone in her room. She was not feeling well and had been throwing up almost everything she ate. When she grumbled about being sick… I panicked. She fell on the floor and hit her head. Blood came from the wound on her head, but her eyes were wide open. I shook her, but she wouldn't move. I r-ran back to my room and shut the door. I kept the covers over my head, hoping it had been a bad dream."

Hagi noticed the sadness that came from her as she told the story. For the first time ever, she was acting her actual age.

She dabbed her eyes, "I went back to her room at 4 am. She was still there. Everyone was still sleeping and I was afraid I would get in trouble, so I buried her in the back yard, next to the shed.

"You have done nothing wrong," he said as he looked at the floor.

She stared into nothingness as she responded, "I have done a _lot_ wrong in my life, but I'll be damned if I ever go back to where I came from."

He then asked stoically, "Why? What is wrong with the place you came from?"

She smirked and answered, "Nice try, Lurch, but you won't fool me that easily." The smile fell as she continued, "As I came back inside and took a shower, I thought, 'She's dead and I look really similar to her. All I need is some red hair dye and to cut off my hair. My eyes were already brown like hers.' So I found a box of hair dye at an all night pharmacy."

Her eyes filled with tears as she was speaking. She kept trying to hold them back, causing him to feel compelled to reach for her. His hand twitched in his lap and he internally scolding himself for it. Why was he having this sudden compulsion to reach for her? Why should he feel the need to comfort her?

"I took a pair of scissors and roughly cut my black hair to the nape of my neck and dyed it and my eyebrows," she sighed. "I took her ID and her social security card before I headed to Mary Reyes' office and found her birth certificate. As soon as it was 9 am, I went to a stylist and used Mary Frances' money to have my hair cut like hers." She ran a hand through her dark short hair. "I avoided everyone except the City Planner that came to speak to Mary Frances about the purchase of The Center. They cut me a check and I put it in the bank."

Again, Hagi felt the need to comfort her, but he grasped one hand with the other to keep it from moving toward her as a tear left her eye. His deep voice responded gently, "You should report this to the police. From what I have been informed, you are only 15 years old. They will…"

She turned and snapped, "They'll send me back! I will not go back!" As an idea popped into her head, she offered him an evil smirk. "Besides, you're going to keep this all a secret, Lurch."

He cringed at the name and the wicked smile she gave him. He had no idea what was going on in her mind. "I won't take money, if that is what you are offering," he said.

The smirk did not fall as she made her way to the bedside table and grabbed a sheet of paper from it. She then came to his side and dropped the paper into his lap before she headed to the window and informed, "You should thank me for intercepting this message. What would your little friends think of you if _this _got out?" She then added, "Don't try ripping it up, it's just a copy of the original. I'm a lot smarter than you think."

Hagi's eyes widened marginally as he read the copy of a fax from Mao Okamura to Dr. Julia:

_We have been given access to several surveillance tapes for Bach Mai hospital in Vietnam. There is a clear view of room 602 and the man that came to visit our Jane Doe. You'll never believe who it is- we didn't believe it either. But he even visited her for 30 minutes on March 23, 2020- around the time you said the baby was conceived. It's Hagi and he visits every other year always on the same day._

His heart shattered as he crumpled the paper in his hand. She began ranting, "So I'm not the only daughter you had. What do they say happened to her? I know from the rest of that fax that the mom is dead. I guess that means that little baby was thrown into an orphanage, huh? I wonder what kind of shit happened to her there. Maybe she was raped or abused. What do you think?" she asked as anger seemed to boil up inside her.

He winced at each of her words. He now had not one but two daughters to explain to Saya. Yes, he had visited the girl in Vietnam, but it was for another reason and he _never _touched her. How could he have fathered a child with her? From what Julia had said, the baby had no special powers, but the fact that he visited her in an unsupervised room would be enough for them to pass judgment. He recalled that they had found the 12-year-old daughter dead on the beach and burned her body. He responded quietly, "She was killed by a wild animal when she turned 12."

Her eyes blazed as she shook her head. "You're a poor excuse for a father. You make two kids- that we know of- and just abandon the mothers to fend for themselves and when the mothers die, you pretend you have never done anything wrong. I guess your plan was for me to die too, huh? Didn't expect for me to be so fucking resilient- did you, _Daddy_?" She nearly spit the last part at him.

He knew that by now Mao had already called Julia to inform her of the situation. He rose and made his way to the window across the room. Light filtered through the blinds as he gave a barely audible sigh. How was he going to explain this? His jaw set as he spoke through gritted teeth, "Alright. I'll keep your secret if you do not tell anyone of what I will tell you."

She nodded as her eyes went wide. He was going to confess. The gravity of the situation caused her to sit on the bed and await his confession.

He took a breath and admitted, "I visited the girl in Vietnam every other year until her death in 2021. I knew that it would be suspicious if I was there that year. I don't know her real name, but I know that she has been the only survivor of one of Saya's rampages in Vietnam. She was just a child and Saya had nearly killed her. I do not know why she did not age. I have always felt that it was from Cinq Fleches' drug. I was not informed until 2023 that there was even a child."

She shook her head as she responded, "You still won't admit it. She was your fucking kid! Why can't you just come out and say it? 'I didn't think about it and ended up fucking this girl and I didn't know she got pregnant.' It's better than denying the truth, Lurch."

He cringed at the name and the accusation. He responded, "I have never betrayed Saya. She is my entire reason for existence."

The comment tore at the girl's heart. A man's offspring was supposed to be a pretty good reason to exist and the fact that he obviously felt nothing for her and only for this Saya broke her heart. She inwardly cringed at the blow, but outwardly went defensive. She growled, "Fuck you, Lurch!"

She rose to leave for the bathroom and locked the door. As she turned on the water again, she finally let the tears come. An unwanted child- that was all she had ever been and all she'd ever be. This was the moment she resolved she would find a way to leave this man that had created her and just go. "Watercolors in the Rain," she muttered. Her chin came up amid the spraying water in a defiant position, "I belong to no one." She then said loudly, "You can't break my heart if I have no heart."

The stoic chevalier stood at the window still, going over all that had just occurred. There was a feeling in his chest he did not understand. It was causing his stomach to clench as he heard her words echo through the wall. He had meant to get the truth out, but not to hurt her. Unfortunately, his actions had done exactly that- he had hurt her.

She was obviously surprised he was still there as she stepped out of the shower. Still wrapped in a towel, their gazes locked and they stared at one another for what seemed like forever. She finally dropped the towel without any warning. She knew what he was looking at and commented, "See what happens when you don't look after your kids, Lurch? Take a really good look."

Scar after scar riddled her body. It looked as if someone had taken a kitchen knife and sliced gashes in her breasts, stomach, and back. Small circles had been burned into her pubic hair, leaving scars that would fade in a few years of frequent feeding and some of the serum Dr. Julia had given him.

She added, "This happened to me from the time I was a baby until I was 13 and killed my pimp. I sucked his ass dry for trying to cut out my baby in my sleep. As it was, she died anyway." She looked at him defiantly, "That's right Lurch, you're not just a fucking, dead-beat dad, you're a dead-beat grandfather to a dead little girl. When she was born, she looked just like me. So that means she looks just like you."

He was stunned, though outwardly he didn't show any signs of it. She donned her towel and headed for the bathroom. He sighed inwardly and headed for the bathroom door. Giving a soft knock, he asked, "So what should I call you as you are not Mary Frances?"

She responded through the door, "Mary Frances is dead. She won't mind me using her name since I don't have my own- Girlie is not a name."

He nodded and added, "Whatever name you choose to use, your last name is Goldschmidt. I was adopted by Joel's family…"

"Yeah, yeah, I know," she interrupted. "I read Joel's Diary- remember?"

He nodded as she exited the bathroom wearing black skinny jeans and a black skull and crossbones t-shirt with an obvious home-made plunging neckline that revealed the edges of her scars. He ignored the outlandish outfit as he continued, "You should have a name. What did they call you in the place you came from?"

She briefly looked dazed as she stopped in the middle of pulling on a pair of steel-toed black boots. She shook her head as if she was trying to shake off a painful memory. "Having trouble paying attention, Lurch? I told you, I don't have one- kids just teased me. All I know is that I was given up as a baby."

Hagi had enough of that horrid nickname. He spoke in a very calm voice as he asked, "Could you please stop calling me Lurch. I promise not to call you Neige."

This time she looked up from what she was doing and regarded the poker face she had learned would not change. "I'm not calling you dad, if that's what you're asking. What does Neige mean?"

He continued to look out the window and answered, "No, I did not expect you to call me that. Hagi, if you please. As for the name Neige, it's a name they used to call me when they were teasing me as a child. It means snow."

"Skin as white as snow," she murmured in shock as she sat up. "How did you know?"

He did not respond as he continued to look out the window. It surprised her after a time of silence when he gave an audible sigh and commented, "It doesn't matter how many years have passed, the teasing words of children do not change."

"Did other kids call you that, or your brothers?" she asked.

He turned around abruptly and allowed a small scowl to etch his features briefly.

"Kai emailed me copies of some letters Joel had sent. He says that only Joel and Dr. Julia have read them. They were Amshel's letters to Joel I when they were looking for a 12-year-old boy to purchase- you. They detail your family situation and a few other things. He thought I should read them and that I should let you read them, too. I guess that can wait until we get to Okinawa since my laptop and all my other items have been shipped there," she explained.

He nodded sadly, knowing his early life was now an open book to the Red Shield. Then he commented lowly, "It was everyone that called me that- including my parents. It was clear I was not my fathered by the man that raised me. All of the people of my race are dark skinned and I was very light skinned. My blue eyes alarmed them. My mother would get drunk and tease that my father was not even Romani. It was common in those days, to sell our people into slavery. I could see the relief in my father's eye when Amshel offered to purchase me. None in my family even cared when he was taking me away. I looked back, but none of their brown eyes turned to even see me off."

She wondered why there were no tears in his eyes as he told the tale of his youth. She responded in nearly a whisper, "I guess that means we both have pretty rotten parents." She then leaned forward and spoke lowly to him, "I tell you what- all the shit that was discussed stays here and is to never be repeated. You got some really bad stuff on me and I have something rotten on you. We'll just agree to keep our mouths shut, right?"

He nodded. The stuff she knew was already out, more than likely, but he didn't want her to spread around anything that may not have been mentioned. Aside from that, he could sense this girl could do some damage if she wasn't kept a close watch on.


	26. Chapter 26- Showdown

Chapter 26- Showdown

The trip was underway. Hagi rode in the passenger seat- a place the girl called, "Shotgun." Lulu wanted the honor of the seat, but her height as well as her photosensitivity would have made the ride unbearable and deadly. The sleeper was the perfect place for her. She could draw the curtain to separate her from the front of the cab. She was enjoying the back of the cab as it had its own personal air conditioner and a bed to flop on and play games on her smart phone.

True to her nature as a truck driver, they left at precisely 10 am and the trip was already mapped out. She included all the places they'd need to stop for gas or to get a hotel room for the night. They would make it to Denver by 3 am the next day if she followed the schedule.

Not being a truck driver, Hagi thought that amount of driving was a bit much, but she just smirked and told him to leave the driving to her. "We'll make it to Denver by 3 and then we'll head on to Kanorado, Kansas. It's the closest town to the park where these monsters were spotted. We would arrive around 6 am."

Hagi frowned and commented, "That would be too close to daylight for them. They would be stronger from feeding during the night."

She pointed at the map and informed him, "Hello! There's nothing there!"

"I do agree the area is not heavily populated, but they can be resourceful. They are not above feeding on animals," Hagi responded.

She smirked as she pressed the gas down, pushing their speed to 80 miles an hour. Responding to his unasked question, she said, "If I push this rig, we may save a couple of hours. That would put us there at 4 am instead." She looked at him as she kept one eye on the road. "Would that be better for you, Hagi?" she asked with a bit of venom in her voice.

He did not respond as he turned his head to the scenery whizzing by them on the other side of the window. He thought about what it would be like when they returned to Okinawa. She would settle in as he went to Saya. Though he did not show it, he was apprehensive about this awakening. How was he going to explain this to her?

Letting his eyes rest on the scenery, he tried to think back. His mind wandered over the many times he visited the unknown woman in the hospital. He recalled that when she was attacked all those years ago.

_There was the sound of gunfire and grotesque screams as humans transformed into chiropterans. There were some special operatives that were helping the Red Shield. They were shouting that they needed Saya to fight. _

_He saw his daggers hit their mark on one of the beasts and noticed as it fell, it was merely a child. He could hear Saya's scream of rage as she tore through the place, sword killing anything it touched. Her red glowing eyes would strike terror into the hearts of any human- she was on the hunt._

_She tore through a piece of material, perhaps a curtain and saw young girls, no more than 13 years old. They were all Vietnamese girls. He had to use his powers to dash across the way and to the room, but when he arrived, the place looked to be painted in blood. Dead bodies littered the rows of hospital beds, all hanging at impossible angles. All of them were killed with deep gashes that severed limbs and heads. Hagi came to a conclusion as he saw each bed had IV stands near them, "They must have been receiving injections of the drug that turned them into chiropterans." They were just children._

_His attention turned to the sound of a terrified scream. Saya was before a cowering girl. The brown eyes of said girl were widening in terror as Saya brought the blade over her head. He dashed and caught the blade, but not before it had made its way 3 inches into the girl's skull. Her lifeless body fell to the floor as Saya brought the blade back up._

_She growled at her chevalier- he had stopped her from killing. That was her purpose right now. She was a weapon. Her red eyes blazed as she looked upon her chevalier. The sounds of the special ops screaming beyond the confines of this place caught her attention._

_Hagi groaned, "Oh no," as he was tossed aside and his queen charged into the night with a snarl. Saya was out of control and it was his fault. He had told her to fight. He had given her his blood. It was his fault she was out of control._

_When it was all over, the operatives were all killed and Saya was asleep again. After he ran off, he found a doctor in the forest. Someone he vaguely recalled asking for his blood to awaken her. The urge to tear through the man's throat was causing his remaining hand to twitch. _

"_You!" he snarled as he grabbed the man by the collar and lifted him off the ground. The man's whimpers of terror were lost on the angry chevalier. He wanted to snap his neck… he wanted to sink his teeth into the artery and watch the man bleed out. This man's blood was tainted and worthless. He was about to move, but something behind the man caught his attention._

_A girl in a hospital gown was laying on the ground behind him, a huge gash in her head. He slowly released the man in his grasp and moved toward the girl. Something was special about the girl- he could feel it._

_The doctor explained, "I don't know how it is possible, but she somehow survived. I think it's the serum Diva's side is using to create the chiropterans. She's breathing even now."_

_Hagi crouched at her side and noted that her arm band had the date 03-23. The year was rubbed off so he assumed it was a birthday. He helped the doctor to settle in and take care of the girl in some abandoned camp near a village. _

_Hagi recalled the girl was taken to Bach Mai Hospital shortly after the doctor that was caring for her died in 2000. He had visited the hospital every other year on March 23- including the one when Saya awakened._

He did not recall touching her in any way other than the time he carried her to the camp in 1972.

Hagi was brought back to the present when some loud electric guitar blasted through the speakers and a man began shouting the most insane lyrics he'd ever heard.

She laughed as she noticed the chevalier flinch at the first chord blaring through the speakers. "Gotcha!" she shouted over the loud music. It only amused her more when he seemed to just keep the usual expression and turn his steel-blue eyes to the road in front of them. The hands in his lap now rose and crossed over his chest.

This brought on even more laughter as she tried to ask, "A-are yo-you sulking?"

"No," he responded and turned his eyes to the window next to him. Can't he cross his arms over his chest without being accused of something?

The first song wasn't even over and his eye was already twitching in annoyance. He reached up and pressed a button on the device, knowing it would change the song.

She slapped his hand away, scolding, "Uh, uh, uh, I'm driving so I get to listen to _my_ music."

He glared at her and responded, "That is not music." He then flicked his hand over the ipod and changed the song again and this time a softer melody emitted from the speakers. The slower rock ballad was one she liked anyway- it was _her _ipod after all.

The chevalier knew he really hadn't won anything here. He knew that all the music on the device were songs she liked. He mentally made a note to be certain that when they stopped for the night or day, he would play the cello a little longer than normal.

Their mission was to get to a park located off of Road 51 in Kansas. There had been numerous sightings and chiropteran activity noted there. David said that operatives have discovered they were congregating there. They did not know why this was happening, but the trio was glad of it. This meant that they could eliminate the entire threat to the US in one night, if they didn't all get killed.

Hagi glanced at the mysterious girl next to him. She looked so much like him, she even had some of his mannerisms from when he was a child. He recalled that same attitude and temperament in himself before he was bought by Amshel. The decade at the Zoo had taught him how to reign in his temper and how to carry himself as a gentleman. He briefly wondered if he would have turned out like her if he was never brought there.

As the sun was setting, he noticed her increasing her speed. His eyes widened slightly as he commented, "You are going to get pulled over."

She smirked as she flicked the volume on the ipod. She patted the small black device on the dashboard. "You ever heard of a radar detector?"

He was grateful for the lower volume in the music, but his ears were still ringing a bit. He shook his head slightly.

She smiled, "Of course not." She then leaned back and sighed before she answered, "You sure are behind the times. Radar detectors are like that thing in your head that tells you when a chiropteran is around. This thing tells you when a cop is around- and it's the best of the best. This baby can detect a cop two minutes before the cop can even see me. If this bad boy beeps, I'll slow down- no ticket."

The chevalier nodded and his gaze wondered back to the window. All this modern technology was just too much.

It was around 1:20 in the morning when they drove into Denver and her device began beeping in a steady rhythm. He could feel the powerful machine slow. "We are making good time. We should be there about 3:30am."

He nodded and then asked, "Do you think you will be able to fight after driving this long?"

She smirked, "We could stop at a rest stop when we get out of the city. I know one that's really big. It has a lot of room for sparring and since it's this late, everyone will be sleeping."

~0~

Lulu jumped down and gave her stiff back and shoulders a good stretch. Her giant axe glinted in the moonlight where it rested on a fence rail. Mary Frances donned a dark cloak that fell behind her to her ankles. The hood came down over her eyes as she pulled out a long staff and pressed it to the ground. This caused a metallic click to resound in the night air as an over sized scythe blade opened up.

Lulu smiled as the image reminded her of Moses. She then smirked as she recalled all the changes they had made to Mary Frances' arsenal. Hagi was in for a surprise.

The chevalier stood before the two girls in his usual tailed coat as he shouldered the cello case he had removed from the trailer earlier.

Lulu gave a childish smile as she vanished in a blue streak. Her axe glinted from the fence rail as she was brought to a stop by a single jeweled dagger that had pinned her cloak to the fence rail.

Mary Frances turned and noticed that he now had another two daggers at the ready in each hand. Before he could move, she leapt into the air and flipped, avoiding his next dagger. As she was upside down, she caught the handle in her hand and fired it back to the source as she landed on the roof of the restrooms.

The dagger whizzed toward him. Both his hands came up and clapped the dagger between them before it touched the end of his nose. His face remained calm as he dodged three metal objects that sliced past him like circular saws.

"Damn!" she spat as she caught the two daggers in each hand. She had hoped to connect one of those sickles, but he managed to dodge them all. "Time to pull out the heavy artillery!" she murmured as she clicked a small button on the staff. The metal blade of the scythe came up as well as a second pair of smaller blades beneath it. They now had black designs etched into the blades. She reached under her cloak and moved faster than she had before, releasing three sickles in rapid succession- all aimed at the tall chevalier in the distance.

Lulu opted to sit on a fence rail and watch the battle unfold. She had sensed the tension in the air around them even before Hagi left. This battle had been brewing for some time now and Lulu would rather not interfere. She had seen how strong Mary Frances had become in such a short time. The princess may even rival her father in strength. Her weaponry would be a marked advantage in this battle.

The Schiff girl watched eagerly for the battle to commence as she admired the improvements that were made to Moses' scythe. She nearly wiggled in anticipation to see how Hagi would handle those razor sharp sickles Gary had made for her. She briefly gave a thought to what Hagi would think of the improvements Gary had made to her own arsenal as well before her eyes returned to the battle.

Hagi saw the glint of the objects just before he thrust his cello case in front of him. He heard three metal thuds and felt the push of their impact, but he wasn't out of the woods yet. He felt her presence before he turned quickly with a dagger in hand. The dagger sliced nothing but air as she was now on his other side.

The cello case dropped as he transformed his right hand into a claw and caught the blade of the scythe. The metal clang of his chiropteran claw meeting the steel scythe resounded through the air. Her expression scrunched in effort as she tried to push the blade forward to slice through his claw.

The blade of the scythe came down to the ground as she righted herself. He had vanished from the spot, causing her to growl in frustration. As she turned to where she felt him, four daggers rapidly fired at her. She brought up the scythe just in time to block the metal darts in four rapid sounding clangs.

Lulu was getting worried. The two were becoming increasingly aggressive. They were chiropterans, but if they exerted themselves too much, they wouldn't be able to fight.

Hagi rushed the girl, but was caught off guard as she rose with a smirk. What was her game? Just as he approached her, she thrust something at him. They looked like small metal balls, but he didn't see the netting in the darkness. His hands went up to find that he was trapped in something that resembled a fisherman's net. She still had that wicked smirk as she pulled something from her cloak he did not recognize.

This was enough. Lulu jumped between them and kicked the device from Mary Frances' hand. "We're fighting chiropterans, not each other. Remember?"

The girl glared at Lulu and mumbled, "Damn it all to hell, Lulu, I almost had him!" Hagi was pulling the net from himself and came to his feet.

"Yeah, but that would've drained his energy to the point where we'd have to postpone the fight a few days," Lulu scolded. "And besides, that thing hurts like hell!"

Hagi was surprised at the curse word that came from the Schiff girl.

"Oh, don't look at me like that, Hagi," the lavender haired girl told him. "If you get shocked by that thing, you'll be cussing too."

The girl removed the hood of her cloak and wiggled her eyebrows as she rolled up the net and put it back in the pouch on her belt. "It should be illegal and probably is, I'm not sure. Jack built it for me. It's a wire cast net that can deliver a ten million volt punch- all over your body!"

Hagi wondered why these mechanics had helped build these weapons for her. They were not with the Red Shield and they had no reason to know anything about chiropterans. He and his daughter needed to have a little talk.

~0~

The weaponry was gathered and placed in the sleeper as they all gathered around the trailer of the truck. Mary Frances took out a pack of cigarettes and put one in her mouth. Her hands dug into her pockets for the lighter. She then pulled them out and reached into her back pockets- nothing. She began to search around the cab and the trailer, but she couldn't find it.

Making her way to the other side of the truck, she continued to search the ground. Suddenly, a gust of wind brushed by her and snatched the cigarette from her mouth. She rolled her eyes and groaned, "Hagi, I know you did this. Give me back my cigarette… and my lighter."

The chevalier leapt down from the top of the semi and stood before the girl. She offered him a glare as she shoved her hand in front of him, palm up, demanding her items.

Noting Lulu was on the other side of the truck, he whispered, "You are not old enough to smoke aside from the fact that it is not good for you."

"I'll do as I damn well please," she hissed.

He shook his head slowly and responded, "You are a minor and you are my responsibility until you are 18."

She scoffed, "Your responsibility? You ran out on not one but two daughters. Is this what you call responsible?"

He turned to face the light breeze that blew across the dry land. He responded lowly, "I did not know about you or the other child. I am sorry."

"Well," she said coldly, "now that you apologized, I guess your conscience is clean. Guess what? I have a class A driver's license and a birth certificate that says I am old enough to smoke. Now, you are an adult and I am an adult. Give me back my lighter and my smoke or I'll just go buy more."

"You are not an adult," Hagi retorted in his usual, expressionless tone.

She then lunged at him and reached into his jacket. He grabbed her hand and squeezed, causing her to shout a curse. She turned quickly and kicked him in the side, causing him to release her arm.

The girl gave a shout of triumph as she retrieved her cigarette and lighter from the pocket she knew he had put it in. She made her way to the other side of the truck as she kept flicking her lighter with little success. The chevalier's lip twitched for a moment as he heard her shout out, "Shit! What the hell did you do to my lighter?"

She noticed that the lighter was completely drained of lighter fluid. Not only that, he had somehow soaked her cigarette in water. The nerve of that guy.

~0~

The two girls then donned their hoods and took off. He was a bit taken aback by this and reached out, grasping Lulu's wrist. "Where are you going?" he asked.

"To hunt," Lulu responded simply. She then added, "I know the Red Shield provides for us, but this hones our skills. It makes us better at hunting."

Hagi was torn as he released Lulu. What should he do? He did not like the idea of feeding from humans, but that was what these two were doing.

Reluctantly, he disappeared in a blue streak and followed them. Someone had to keep an eye on the two. As he came closer to Mary Frances, he watched as she elegantly leapt from place to place. He could plainly see she was completely adapted to using her powers and not afraid at all.

"How long have you been using your powers?" he asked her.

She was taken by surprise by the question. She then answered sadly, "Since I was 7. They gave me transfusions when I was a baby and as I was growing up. When I was 7, this boy was bullying me a lot. He tried to grab me and I bit him. It caused me to go into a frenzy. After that, I thought I was a vampire of some sort."

"All the other kids were terrified of me because I looked so different, but they didn't know that I really was the kind of monster nightmares are about. I was a beast," she said. "I noticed that I could move very fast and jump very high. The more I tried, the better I got."

When she noticed his stern expression, she added, "Look, if you're worried about the hunting, don't. Lulu insisted that I don't kill anyone, so I can only take small amounts from them. It makes things a bit more challenging, but with all the skills she's taught me, I'm up for a challenge."

"You've killed people." It was more of a statement than a question. He recalled all those men in LA that were drained of blood and then suddenly recalled how they were lured into the alley. At that moment, a wave of shame washed over him- his daughter was a prostitute- like his mother.

She nodded and continued, "I'm not proud of what I did, but I did it to survive. I was a teenager all alone in the world." She noticed Lulu was far enough ahead of them. She spoke bitterly, "How else was a 12-year-old girl supposed to make a living for herself? I couldn't get a job much less an apartment."

Hagi kept an even expression and demanded, "Tell me why you left the place you came from."

"I was an abused orphan child that didn't fit in. I figured anything is better than this," she explained before she dropped to one knee and pulled her cloak off. An idea had come to her head. She would hunt tonight in her old way.

"Watch and learn," she muttered as she made her way to a corner where two streets met and spoke to a woman standing there. She was offered a cigarette and a light. Causing Hagi to shake his head slowly.

She moved down the street a ways and was quickly approached by a car. To Hagi's surprise, she got in and was driven off a distance. He immediately leapt to the building nearby and followed them. All the while he wondered what the girl was thinking.


	27. Chapter 27- New Skills

**A/N HEADS UP! Some drug use in this chapter. Then again, this fic is full of all kinds of adult stuff. Just to tell you, it's rated M for a reason.**

Chapter 27- New Skills

He watched from a rooftop as the girl in the car smiled sweetly to the stranger in the driver's seat. After she gave a nod, she leaned forward and buried her face in the man's neck. After a time, the man's head rolled to his shoulder.

The girl emerged from the car and straightened her clothes before she moved on. Feeling that familiar red haze come over her, she rolled her eyes and turned abruptly. "He's not dead," she complained. "I only made him pass out."

His hand gripped her wrist as he pulled her roughly to the shadows just as a pair of cops turned the corner. "You are too reckless for your own good," he informed her softly.

She then retorted in mock sweetness, "And here I thought you did it because you didn't like the idea of your daughter posing as a whore."

His palm twitched in an effort to keep himself from slapping that smart mouth.

"Why don't you go feed?" she asked.

"I do not need to feed," he responded.

She smirked as she saw the way his skin seemed a little more pale than usual. "Yeah, sure. That's why you are as white as a ghost and not white as a sheet. You can't fool me. After that sparring match, you need something to sustain you." She then smirked as she asked, "You need some help, _old_ man?"

He vanished in a blue steak, causing her brow to furrow. She concentrated and tapped into his mind. _She could see him almost soaring over the landscape of the small city and then it became open landscape. A deer stand in the distance brought the scent of blood to him. _

_As he came closer, he smelled the reason they were there when it wasn't deer season. The strong scent of burning herbs hit his nose. The inhabitants of the deer stand were laughing and talking incoherently, passing around a tightly wrapped white object and a lighter. They would light the end, take a puff, and pass it._

The girl smirked as she congratulated silently, "Bravo, Hagi. Four at one time." _He stealthily moved in and sliced a small gash in each of their necks, drinking what he needed from each. It was done so quickly that he wasn't detected. The four teens fell against each other, thinking they had passed out from the drugs._

_In the morning they'd awaken thinking, "That was the best pot ever! We have to get some more of this stuff!"_

She broke the connection and burst into laughter. "Not so much better than me, are you?" she laughed as Lulu landed next to her.

"What's so funny?" she asked and then smelled that the chevalier had been there and was now gone. "Don't tell me you insulted him again," she groaned.

"No," she commented, "it's not that. I just made him go out to feed and you know what? He doesn't need any help at all. The guy just found four stoners in a deer stand."

Lulu smiled and informed her, "Hagi's been around for more than 100 years, I _think_ he knows what he's doing."

She turned to the Schiff and responded, "Yeah, I guess he does. I just thought the guy never fed." She then added, "Well, he's on his way back. Let's get to the truck and go kill some monsters."

~0~

The large truck turned down a small road in the dark cover of night. Lulu poked her head over the seat with twitching ears. "There's a lot of them, guys," she informed.

Hagi could sense the numbers of them. This was going to be another very bloody battle and the odds were very much against them. He hoped that the 6 months of training the girl had received would be enough. She certainly had some very good weapons and knew how to use them, but did she have the stamina to fight through the night?

The truck came to a halt just a few meters from the epicenter of all the commotion. Hagi and Mary Frances jumped from the truck and waited as Lulu handed off items to them quickly before she jumped down. The trio had little time to prepare for the fight as the monsters had caught their scents and were slowly making their way to the headlights that beamed in their direction.

Hagi, having little to do to prepare himself, was ready before the two girls. His hand went to his jacket and produced a few daggers.

Mary Frances wasn't far behind with a click of her arsenal in the belt and a swish of a long hooded cloak. The staff was hit against the ground, causing the massive, very sharp metal blade to release. She would save the second set for more formidable prey. Looking back, she regarded Lulu.

The lavender haired girl donned her hood shortly after strapping something to her waist and then grabbed her axe. The nod she gave told Mary Frances she was ready.

Hagi was startled at the loud battle cry he did not expect as a crowd of brown beasts with glowing red and blue eyes closed in on them. He never noticed it before, but they did have one red and one blue eye. No time to think on it now, they had to kill them first and ask questions later. In a flash, he was gone, reappearing shortly to slam the case against one beast and slash another with his claws.

Lulu giggled as she heard the loud cry of her student calling out the start of the battle. Mary Frances brought the scythe across in front of her as her hand dished out three of those sickles. They found their marks in a couple that came at her.

Lulu sprang into action, leaping over Mary Frances and bringing her axe across in a wide swing, decapitating the ones that were injured by the sickles. She then produced a large silver object from under her cloak and gave it a toss like a Frisbee before she jumped again.

From under the Schiff's mighty leap, the hooded, tall figure emerged with a scythe. She heard the grunts as the razor edged boomerang Lulu threw found a few marks. They had moved from the park lights. The new moon was making things even darker. Even though chiropterans can see well in the dark, the sheer numbers of chiropterans closing in on each other and them, made it hard to distinguish individual members visually.

Mary Frances caught the scent of blood, causing her eyes to glow. They were an eerie addition to the red and blue solid orbs glowing, as hers were just rings. She placed one foot in front of the other and gave a mighty leap, spinning herself and her long scythe came around like a blender blade, slicing thick arcs of blood through the air as her foes fell. The silver boomerang made it back to its owner before she landed.

Hagi heard more than saw something above. He could hear the rush of wing beats above him. Without a hint of expression, the massive wings came from his back and he leapt into the air. Knowing he wouldn't be able to tell individual members in the lack of light, he decided to count how many blue orbs he saw and attack them instead. It would at least give him a target and there were only six. He brought his daggers back and thought,_ "This will be a long night."_

Lulu leapt over Mary Frances and brought her axe across one that only had one eye, proving that a sickle had just found its mark. The metal clang told her that she wasn't getting out of this one that easy. "Mary Frances!" she shouted as she leapt back to her student's side.

The pair had been fighting and sparring side by side for the past six months, Mary Frances knew that her teacher never called on her unless it was an armored one. With a smirk, Mary Frances singled out the one Lulu had attacked as it came closer to them. A flash quicker than lightening and strange netting now covered the beast. There was a sick smile on the woman's face as she pressed the button and watched the beast writhe in agony with the buzzing sound that came from it. Another beast got too close and was now dancing a deadly jig with it.

"You really enjoy that too much," Lulu noticed as Mary Frances quickly extracted the now uncharged net. Lulu came over them and beheaded the unarmored one. Mary Frances searched the other for a weak point and found it- right at the base of the neck. With the precision of a surgeon and a speed faster than any human, she brought her scythe across its neck.

At this point, the two were surprised as a massive bat-like creature fell to the ground a few feet from them. They both looked up to see Hagi in a battle with five more. His clawed hands came forward as he used a few beats of his wings to get some momentum and ripped the wings from their backs, causing them to fall from the sky with shrieks of rage.

Mary Frances stood stunned as Lulu finished the pair off. When the small Schiff returned, she noted Mary Frances' shocked expression and turned her eyes skyward. "What is it?"

Mary Frances took in the sight of the chevalier as he impaled a winged creature with his claws and then slammed him into another one, his wings beating the sky, keeping him airborne. His _wings!_ In a somewhat whisper like voice she answered, "He has wings."

Lulu looked again and responded, "Yeah." Then it dawned on her, Mary Frances had never seen Hagi's wings before. "Oh, sorry, yeah, Hagi has wings and claws. He's supposed to be able to fully transform like Nathan, but he never does. I think it's because Saya thinks that they are monsters."

"Fuck that!" Mary Frances commented. "I want huge-ass bat wings, too!" She then looked at the Schiff and asked excitedly, "How does he do it?"

Lulu shrugged, "I don't know. Mr. Joel says that when he was cornered by some villagers that wanted to kill Saya, he transformed like that and protected her. I guess you have to get mad."

Mary Frances tried to concentrate on getting mad, but nothing happened, except her eyes glowed. She growled as she tried harder, but still nothing. "Damn! Fuck! Come out already," she commanded as she looked over her shoulder to find nothing there.

Lulu tugged at her cloak and said, "Um, Mary Frances, I know you want to go fly with Hagi, but I think I need you here on earth right now."

Mary Frances turned and saw a large horde of chiropterans headed their way. She rolled her eyes and groaned, "Yeah, guess you're right."

As Hagi finished off the third one, he watched the scene below. Lulu and Mary Frances were plowing through the ones on the ground like a freight train. The two worked in tandem, slicing, punching, kicking, and stabbing, leaving a trail of dead chiropterans in their wake. For a moment, he wondered if he and the princess would be able to work together so well some time in the future.

As he was distracted momentarily, a remaining chiropteran slammed its talon through the chevalier's gut. The claws exited his back, causing a spray of blood, material, and skin. A trail of blood let the corner of his lips. Hagi coughed a mouthful of blood as he was still pinned to the chiropteran.

He then slammed his claw through the flying beast, causing it to feel the same pain and effectively pinning it to himself. He then drew his booted feet up to the belly of the beast and in a great swoosh, brought his wings forward at the same time as he used his legs to kick the beast and his body apart.

A murmur was all that gave away the chevalier's pain, but blood spayed from the wounds of himself and the beast that hovered across from him.

Lulu thrust her boomerang and jumped up, allowing Mary Frances to go in for the kill. A slight rain of blood fell from the sky, landing on Lulu and the beasts that were near her and Mary Frances. Lulu turned her gaze skyward to see Hagi falling as well as the other beast.

"Hagi!" the Schiff girl shouted as she ran to his side when his body smacked into the ground. Plumes of dust filled the air around him, making it difficult for Lulu to find him right away. When she did, she was surprised to see him leap to his feet. The hole in his belly was still healing, but he wasn't finished killing the beast. It had already begun to take to the sky again, Hagi following behind.

The clang of metal behind Lulu alerted her to the fact that she still had business left unfinished. Mary Frances shouted to her, "He's a chevalier and heals faster than us. I need your ass over here right now." She tossed a handful of bloody sickles through the air. As they battled, they retrieved their weapons so they could reuse them.

Metal sliced through the air as another two fell at the hands of the tall, hooded woman. She turned to her left to see five coming at her. Looking for a way to retreat, her head turned to find 6 more to the front and 4 on the other side. "Oh shit!" she gasped. Lulu came through in a blur of silver and blue, arcs of blood and guts in her wake. "Thanks," Mary Frances smiled as she gripped the massive scythe and shouted for Lulu to halt.

With three long steps, she found the two in front of her and sliced through them in a swift motion. As they bowed over with spurts of blood, she leapt to their backs and kicked off. As she turned a wide back-flip, she pressed the button on the scythe, releasing the two smaller blades. Grasping the back of the smaller one, she pulled and sent it flying. A chain extended from the staff to the blade as it found the neck of one of the beasts. She sliced one in half as she landed and then yanked the chain, causing the very sharp blade to cut through the neck of the beast it had found.

Lulu was feeling a sense of foreboding as she began to count the remainder of the ground foes. There were at least 20, but the sky was becoming a lighter shade of blue and the eastern horizon was taking on a shade of pink. "Damn," she muttered as she looked toward Mary Frances. She would have to finish this alone.

Her eyes turned to the aerial battle to find Hagi had just slammed his fist into the bat-like creature's face. He should be done with that one soon and he and Mary Frances could finish the rest together.

"Mary Frances," she called to her student. The girl gave a grave nod to say she understood. Lulu gave a toss of her boomerang and watched as Mary Frances jumped over it gracefully, cutting the chiropteran in front of her in half vertically as she did so. The boomerang left two of them chopped in half before it returned to its owner as she got to the truck. She smiled as she propped her axe, blade side out, on the front grill of the truck.

Hagi noticed the pink horizon and knew that Lulu was going to retreat, leaving Mary Frances on her own. He had to finish this battle now. The monster in front of him seemed to stretch his mouth full of glimmering teeth into a nasty smile.

The chevalier slammed his clawed fist at the beast, finding nothing but air. He swung again, but a hard fist found his gut. He gasped in pain, but then turned his attention to the closeness. At this proximity, he could grab one of the wings and drag his prey to the ground. At this height, that wouldn't do enough damage. His grey-blue eyes scanned the terrain and something shiny caught his eye.

In a swift motion, Hagi grabbed the wing in his clawed hand and began the deadly descent. As he drew his wings inward, the speed increased. The glint that caught his eye before was now in clear view as he could hear the beast behind his shrieking in anger.

The shriek was soon silenced with a loud thump as Hagi released the body and was now standing on the top of the black semi. The winged creature he had been fighting was now smashed on the grill of the truck with a red axe blade sticking out from between its shoulder blades and a massive blood splatter on the front of the truck and the ground in front of it.

Hagi then landed on the ground in front of the truck and pulled back the flattened creature like some cartoon image. He only needed a dagger to separate the head from the body at this point. Once that was done, a shrill cry from the battle field caught his attention.

Mary Frances was staring wide-eyed at the chevalier and her black truck in front of him. "WHAT THE FUCK?!" she screamed as she started to advance toward him. "My baby! My truck! What is fucking wrong with you?" she shouted as her eyes began to glow. One was brown rimmed with red and the other, brown rimmed with blue.

His brow furrowed slightly and only for a split second before he tried to warn, "Mary Frances…" The creatures were advancing on her quickly and her anger had blocked her from sensing them.

"Don't you fucking Mary Frances me, Lurch!" she shouted as she gestured to the truck that was now splattered with blood and guts. "You have got some nerve, you asshole!" She was now nearly at him, not noticing the creatures that surrounded her. She took a blade in her hand and began to attack him, but was cut short as something hit her back and her gut felt like it was burning and stinging at the same time.

She and her father looked down at the same time. Something was covered in blood and protruding from her belly. Clawed fingers dripped in blood as they moved slightly. She could hear each beat of her heart as her eyes met her father's. There was a brief look of confusion before everything went black and she fell to the ground in a heap of black cloth and alabaster skin.

Hagi's eyes went wide. He was shocked as the girl looked at him in confusion. It was as if she was asking him, _"Did I just die?"_ In the next moment, she was on the ground with her eyes closed. Something inside him took over at that moment.

The normally quiet man's lips pulled back into a snarl that revealed sharp fangs. His vision hazed and then clarified to perfect sharpness as his eyes began to glow a brilliant blue. He fired several daggers, slicing anything they touched. His claws ripped through flesh and bone as he cried out in a rage. His wings beat as he would swoop and slice with his claws.

Those same clawed hands were grabbing and twisting the heads off the monsters that surrounded him. A moment later, he unsheathed the blade at his side and began executing any that were in his range.

Lulu could only watch on in awe before the first rays of sunlight drove her into the sleeper for the day. Hagi was in a rage she had never seen before. Mary Frances lay on the ground, unmoving. Tears fell from Lulu's eyes as she moved to the sleeper. She and Hagi would find a way back, but she was sorry Mary Frances had to go. The girl was just beginning to open up.

Drops of wetness sprung up on Hagi's cheeks as the sun began to rise. He growled as he decimated nearly all of the monsters that surrounded him and the body of his daughter. How could she be so careless? She was yelling at him and forgot about the fact that she was in danger.

All this over a truck. He grunted with the effort of pushing the blade though the next victim's neck. Blood sprayed his clothing and his hair was barely still contained in the ribbon, but he fought on.

Lulu made a tearful call to Virginia and Lewis. She sniffed, "Lewis, please inform Dr. Julia and Mr. Joel that Mary Frances was killed in battle this morning."

**A/N I know...I know... just remember, reviews are love... not to mention, they inspire me to write and post new chapters faster. Just sayin'.**


	28. Chapter 28- Recovery

**A/N Just a reminder on this: It is important to remember that Hagi is the only person alive who knows that this girl is not really Mary Frances. **

**JUST IN CASE- HERE'S THE DISCLAIMER! I don't own Blood Plus, the characters, or whatever else… NOW... on to the thrill of the battle!  
**

Chapter 28- Recovery

He continued to slice and to claw his way through all the creatures as the sun rose over the horizon, bringing light to the blood-soaked terrain. Bodies littered the landscape in grotesque angles. Nearly all were sliced apart in various ways, but their appearance was the most frightening. The brownish colored creatures looked to be something that had sprung to life from a child's nightmare.

Even more surreal was the tall figure clad in black that sliced through them with what seemed to be a deformed hand. His long hair had worked its way loose and was now slapping marks of red on his porcelain face as he whipped around, decapitating monsters left and right. His mind was focused on being the death of these creatures.

The body of a tall woman with very short hair was on the ground a few feet away from the battle. Blood coated everything around. The hole in her stomach would not heal- he knew this. She was princess and while a princess could recover from some wounds quickly, something like this would not heal. She was dead.

He knew this. His mind was focused on the task at hand while inside he was torn. What her existence would mean for his relationship with Saya would not be good. This was certain. So why did he feel this sudden grief and rage for her death? Could it be that something inside him knew she was really his daughter?

Razor sharp claws tore through the beast in front of him. As it gave a wail of pain and rage he turned and sliced his claw through another, bringing his other arm around that held the long blade. He then turned and sliced through one's neck and on the other side of the turn, took the others.

Seeing the last three standing in the distance, his eyes darted down to the cello case that was still embedded in the head of one that seemed to have lost its body at some point. With lightening speed, he thrust the case at them, causing them to fall. As one came to its feet, he released three daggers in rapid succession. They found the creature's face as the other two came to their feet again.

"_Urgh." _ She took inventory of herself without opening her eyes._ "What is going on? Why does my stomach hurt so much?" _ The horrid smell of blood and guts mixing with dry earth filled her nostrils. She opened her eyes to the pinks and lavenders of early sunrise as her hand found the painful spot in her belly. Reluctant fingers traced the tender flesh where she knew there should be a wound or at the very least, a scar, but found only her own unmarred skin.

She turned on her side to see what had become of the battle she had been in. She had to blink a few times to clear the fog from her eyes. What she saw awed her. Hagi was slashing one of three beasts still standing. She was certain that her last count had been at least 18 still standing. His clawed hand was slashing away and his sword was removing heads, arms, legs, and entire torsos in swift arcs.

The blade moved through one, but when it clanged against the second one's skin, she knew he was in trouble. The only other left standing was a near identical copies so she knew it was an armored one as well. He was in serious trouble if he tried to take on both at once. Her hand quickly found the pouch in her belt.

The chevalier noted the two approaching him. Assessing the situation, he noticed a small opportunity as one seemed to be moving slower than the other. He drew his arm back to pull two daggers when something large flew by him. In the early morning light, he could see the dark netting open and engulf the slightly closer creature. Only one person had a weapon like that.

He turned to see the girl on one knee, her hood pulled back revealing the porcelain face that twisted into a vengeful snarl. Her voice was filled with malice as she growled, "This is for sticking your fucking hand through my gut!" She pressed the button for the controller and Hagi turned his stoic gaze to the creature before him, witnessing the power of the weapon at close range. The beast's body convulsed as it let out a mechanical sounding cry of pain.

She held the button down until smoke came in tendrils from the shaking creature and rose to the sky. Her eyes turned briefly as she noticed Hagi taking a few steps toward the creature only to be thrown back just as the girl shouted for him to stop.

He opened his eyes to the now bluish lavender sky. His body still had a few after shocks that caused him to twitch. He noticed she was standing over the two bodies with the large scythe dripping with the blood of all the slain enemies. He watched as she brought the staff over her shoulder in a more relaxed pose.

Her eyes finally turned to him. "Geez you really are a glutton for punishment, huh?" Her eyes then turned back to her handiwork. Pulling her cast net back to her and wrapping it up, she added, "We better get all our weapons and clean them up. I got a box where we can put them until we get to a hotel."

He tried to rise, but found himself falling back with another spasm. It had been a long time since he'd faced an electrical shock like this. To his surprise, when he looked up, he saw a pale hand being offered to him. Her face was cast in the light of the rising sun. Yellows and golds reflected on her porcelain skin that was marred with spatters and streaks of drying blood as she informed him, "Pretty bad ass shock, huh? I tried to warn you. You were moving straight into the same massive puddle of blood that creature was standing in. I know the soles of your boots are made of steel and not rubber."

He stumbled a bit, causing her to come to his side and steady him. "Hold on there, Hagi," she warned. "You've lost a lot of blood and had a massive electric shock. You need to rest and get some blood in you." She stopped and looked at him. Her eyes moved over him critically before she observed, "You barely took anything from those stoners. I thought you'd take at least a pint from each, but I bet you barely took a thing!"

He focused all his energy to the task at hand- retrieving his cello case and daggers, getting them to the trailer, and getting into the cab of the truck. He noted the different glittering objects in the field and made his way to different ones, gathering them as he went to the truck.

The girl was gathering weapons when she noticed he was doing the same. "Gonna wear yourself out," she murmured as she grabbed the last thing on the field- his cello case.

He came to her side and demanded, "I'll take that."

She pulled it over her shoulder tighter and responded, "I don't need you collapsing in this field 'cause let me tell you something- I'm not carrying your ass back."

He followed her as she came to the front of the truck. Lulu's axe blade was covered in a bloody, pulpy mess amid the flattened circle of entrails, skin, and bones that were stuck in the grill of her precious truck. The girl growled a complaint, "Shit! You just couldn't leave my baby out of this, could you?" She knew he was already putting the bloody weapons in the trailer so she headed in the same direction.

The clinking from the back of the trailer told her that he was still placing the items in a box as she leapt up into the trailer with nearly no effort. She had returned with the axe Lulu had left at the front of the truck. With a swift movement, she removed the bloody cloak and used a towel she had left in the back to wipe the blood from her face, neck and hands before she removed her boots.

Hagi nearly jumped out of the trailer when she began removing her jeans, causing her to laugh loudly. She now had her bloody jeans in a pool around her feet, but a clean pair of shorts clinging to her hips. "Did you really think I was gonna get naked?" she laughed again.

His eyes still averted, he responded, "Your shirt has a hole in it." He couldn't help this feeling of guilt that swelled in his chest. How did she survive this anyway?

She shrugged and removed her shirt, shocking him even more. This time he really did leave the trailer in a blue haze. She wasn't wearing a bra.

When she returned to the truck, she was rather surprised to find he had the courtesy to place a towel on the seat and floor board to soak up the blood on his clothes. His face was turned to the window and his body pressed into the passenger's seat. "Don't think you're getting out of washing my truck."

He did not respond.

"Hey," she placed a hand on his shoulder. "Do you hear me?"

"Mary Frances?" came a small, sad voice from the back of the cab. The curtains were drawn shut, but a small arm grabbed the young woman and dragged her into the back through the curtains in a swift motion.

She was suddenly engulfed in a small, tight hug. She was having difficulty breathing as Lulu began crying out through torrents of tears, "I can't believe you're still alive. I thought you were a goner!"

The young woman tapped Lulu on the arm and warned in a tight voice, "Can't…breathe… Lulu!"

Finally, the tight grip loosened and Lulu wiped her face. "Sorry," she said sheepishly, "I thought you were dead."

The young woman pulled away from Lulu and muttered, "Thanks for worrying about me." She sighed and responded, "I'm just not used to being worried over like this."

Lulu gave a sad look, but felt confused. _"She grew up with a mother and she had all those friends at The Center. Why wouldn't she ever feel cared for?"_

She continued, "I am pretty sure he didn't feed enough earlier. He's unconscious in the front seat."

Lulu nodded, "We need to get to a motel and clean up. I know an informant in Kansas City."

The dark haired woman gave a curt nod. She pulled her leg under the other and added, "There's one more thing." She noticed Lulu's countenance changed into a look of worry. "During the battle, Hagi got too close to the shock net. He sustained a pretty bad dose considering his boots have steel soles and he was standing in a puddle of blood."

Lulu winced and turned her head. She could almost sympathize with him. Shortly after the net had been made, she had touched it while a current was still running through it. The shock was bad enough, but nothing compared to what Hagi had experienced. "Poor Hagi. We really need to convince him to get rubber soles on his shoes."

The young woman gave a smile and a nod. As she climbed through the curtain, she commented, "We better get moving. The stone-faced chevalier needs a few pints of blood and I could use a long, hot shower."

"Dibs!" Lulu shouted, but knew it was already too late. Mary Frances had already spoken it out loud. She added through the curtain, "The informant runs a small motel in town. I'll call ahead so he can make sure to have plenty of blood."

"I hope there's a car wash nearby," she called back. Her face turned to look at the unconscious man. He was such a mystery. It seemed he would do something nice and then completely abandon her. It surprised her- that look on his face when she thought she had died. He wore the look of concern as his hand reached for her. Did he really care for her?

He fought so hard. The chevalier took down 15 chiropterans while she lay unconscious. As her hand held the gear shift, she sighed. "I have to do this," she muttered, knowing Lulu had heard her. It was the least she could do for the man that saved her life. As she leapt from the truck and took off into the sunrise, she thought aloud, "Besides, I have to get that bastard strong enough to wash this truck.

~0~

Lulu was rather surprised when the chevalier had joined her in the back of the cab. His long legs stretched across the bed, causing her to smile. He was paler than usual and she could tell he was trying to stay conscious, but it was a short time before his blue-grey eyes closed and his breathing became steady and deep.

In the darkness of the sleeper, a light whisper asked, "Hagi, are you asleep?"

The answer came in a deep, yet quiet voice, "I do not sleep, Lulu, although I am quite weak." He turned his head to the side and wondered at the lack of the third presence. "Where did the girl go?"

"I don't know," Lulu answered. "She said, 'I have to do this' and left."

Before he could utter another word, the presence returned. The door to the cab opened and shut. The girl was careful to open the curtain just wide enough to come through and moved quietly onto the bed next to Lulu. Blue and red rings illuminated the darkness.

Her voice seemed slightly deeper as she spoke, "I have fed to the point of bursting, chevalier." She then pulled her wrist to her mouth and bit down hard as a growl of pain rumbled in her throat. She then presented the bleeding wrist to his thin lips and commanded, "Drink."

He tried to turn away from her, but two very strong hands pulled his face back causing those eerie ringed eyes to meet cold steel blue. Her voice growled out as she shoved her bleeding wrist back to his mouth, "Drink, damn it, or so help me I'll plaster you to the front of my truck like you did with that fucking bat creature!"

With her wrist shoved deep into his mouth, he couldn't help but swallow. He was too weak to fight and his chiropteran nature had taken over. The chevalier went into survival mode as steel-blue eyes opened wide. A vibrant blue began to bleed into his normal looking irises as she could feel his sharpened teeth dig into her flesh. A primal snarl erupted from his throat before he began taking gulps of the offering before him.

"Mary Frances," Lulu warned with wide eyes, "it's blood lust. He may kill you!"

The girl's eyes continued to glow as she responded, "Nah. I took in a lot of blood. To be honest, I was trying my hardest to keep it down I was so full. I doubt he could drain me right now."

But it wasn't long before she began to understand Lulu's worry. Her eyes had begun to fade back to their normal brown and yet he was still taking strong pulls from her wrist. It took all her energy and the help of Lulu to pry the starving chevalier off her wrist. He was panting in short gasps as his wild eyes glowed in the darkness, illuminating the sleeper in an eerie blue glow. His back was arched as growls began to grow in his chest with each breath. A trickle of blood left the corner of his mouth and trailed along his porcelain skin.

The girl bolted into action and pinned him to the cot. He was thrashing and twisting wildly. Lulu came to his side, knowing her physical strength was no where near strong enough to subdue him- especially when he was so well fed. Instead she spoke calming words to reassure him that he had not harmed anyone and that no one would harm him. The moment the name Saya left her lips, his eyes faded back to their normal color and his mouth shut. His body relaxed into the mattress before his eyes shut. He was not asleep, but he couldn't face them. It had been many years since he had last let his chiropteran nature have control. He couldn't face their judgmental stares ad repulsion mixed with fear.

"Lulu," the girl whispered, "you think he passed out?"

"No," Lulu responded, "but I think it would be a good idea to get to that informant and find a place to rest up before we head on. Hagi should stay back here and rest."

Mary Frances nodded and moved to the front of the cab. Once she felt the truck begin to move, she began phoning the informant in Kansas City before she called Lewis and explained her mistake to him. Though she felt quite embarrassed, she was glad to be giving him the news that Mary Frances was still alive.

~0~

The car was delivered and the flight back to Okinawa was uneventful. The dark haired woman relaxed in her seat, grateful that Joel felt it would be best for the two to travel by private jet. She took her side of the plane and he took his side. The two never spared the other a glance. Her ipod sent her into a musical trance as he mind tumbled over the events that had transpired.

All the chiropterans in the US were now dead. They could relax for a time. When Saya awoke from her sleep, Hagi would take off to help her regain her memories. The Red Shield thinks it will be about a month before Saya will be ready to fight. That gave her a month to settle in and begin working on building her stamina and speed with her weapons.

The night they stayed in New York, she had a lot to think on as Hagi had taken off in his usual quiet mood. She used the time to sharpen her weapons and re-thread her net to make certain any holes or frayed wires were repaired.

_The television emitted a bluish glow in the dark hotel room. The thick curtains were drawn shut to keep the inside completely secluded from the outside world. Lulu was back with the CIA and Mary Frances was grateful for all the training she had received from her._

_Somehow, Kai managed to forward a letter to her. She kept sniffing back tears as she realized who it was from. The return address was LA and there was only one person alive in LA that knew she was going to Okinawa. "I can't face this now," she admitted to the empty room as she rocked on her heels. She then placed the letter in her luggage before heading outside to watch her truck, her baby, disappear beyond the horizon. A deep sigh left her lips. She was on to the next part of her life. _

_Deciding she was tired of the depressing motel room, she followed the vibe that she knew would lead her to Hagi. There was a deep heavy emotion flowing off him that made her curious. What was it he was doing and why did it make him feel this way?_

_She leapt from building to building in a dark hood that covered her face and eyes. The speed she was traveling prevented any human onlookers from seeing her as her cloak flapped in the wake of her movements._

_When she landed, it was near what looked like a park with many stone statues. The stone plaque near the entry declared __**New York Metropolitan Opera Memorial.**__ She ignored the rest of the plaque as she recalled this was the place where Saya killed Diva and Hagi had been buried alive._

_As she moved through the park silently, she noticed stone statues of various musicians. One was a small woman wearing a long dress with a zig-zag hem, bat wings and shortly cropped hair. The plaque at her feet simply read __**Diva**__. She pulled her hood back to take in the features of what was Saya and Hagi's mortal enemy and closest relative. She looked like some unassuming little girl. How could this creature possibly be a threat to anything was beyond her._

_She moved on toward the epicenter of the emotion she was sensing. She was close, he was here somewhere. Her eyes roamed the peaceful landscape to see more statues, including one of a cellist frozen in the midst of drawing the bow across the strings in a tune none were meant to hear. _

_A smirk etched her features as she murmured, "I found you, you bastard." She quietly made her way to the statue and peeped around it. _

_There he stood at the edge of the memorial. He seemed to have his blue-grey eyes fixed on a patch of weeds in front of him. She muttered, "Weirdo" as she waited for him to move or say something. He did not move. The only thing that moved was a few strands of hair as the light breeze caught them._

_She concentrated to hear the thoughts that passed his mind. Her eyes registered blackness and her nose caught the smell of freshly dug earth and blood. She could feel the overwhelming sense of urgency to return to Saya. She had to know he was okay. Mary Frances could feel the sting and ache of major wounds as fingernails tore through the earth as he dug his way out. _

The words that echoed in his mind reverberated through her once again. He was gazing sadly into the hole that she now knew was where he had dug himself out. _"I should have died here."_

Not I could have died here- I should have died here. Her brown eyes slid to catch a glimpse of the stoic mystery of a man that had created her. What was making him so sad and why did he feel that he should have died?

She shook her head to rid herself of the thought. She added to herself, "_Not my place to figure him out."_ She opened a magazine and began to glance over the articles and pictures. Thankfully, this will be a long, quiet flight.


	29. Chapter 29

**A/N Just to warn you, this one gets a bit dirty at the end- nearly a lime, but not quite. Please don't read if you don't like. Read and review, please.  
**

Chapter 29- The Awakening

Two weeks had passed since Mary Frances had arrived with Hagi. She was rather surprised that his only luggage was that stupid cello case.

As she stared out the window of her room, waiting for Kai to pick her up, she thought about the first day she arrived.

_As she maneuvered her luggage in the taxi, she thought about the ass sitting in the front of the cab. Huffing in frustration, she resolved to make the most of it and be polite. This place of his couldn't be very big. The guy had zero personality and never slept, not to mention the fact that he never ate. This place was probably small and cramped with little to no furniture._

_As they arrived at the complex, she was reluctant to look out the window. The place was probably rundown, tiny, and the view from the place was probably a brick wall- maybe a landfill. She cringed at the thought. When she got up the nerve to open her eyes a crack, she was greeted with a beautiful concrete building. Very modern looking as it was situated very near the beach._

_At this point, her eyes had opened wide and she found herself hoping that the view from her room was the gorgeous beach and its aqua waters. _

_When she arrived in the apartment, she was completely speechless. The door opened to a small area where the wall next to the door had several wooden pegs for hanging coats and purses- maybe keys. The white walls opened into a very large living room with a tan, plush carpet. The ENTIRE view of the back of the living room was made of several very tall and thick windows and glass doors. They opened to a private balcony that had the most phenomenal view of pristine beaches. There were floor to ceiling drapes that ran along a very long track. The olive green drapes were completely open, allowing sunlight to fill the room. _

_The plush sofa sat against the wall and looked similar to the drapes. The throw pillows looked to be a woven tapestry in the image of some kind of grain. The wooden tables and entertainment center were a dark shade of mahogany and shined like they had been heavily lacquered. _

_An over sized rug under the coffee table held traditional swirls as the main theme was the wheat sheaf in the middle of the rug depicted in gold against a vibrant burgundy. The chair she was standing behind was that same olive green with as well. She noticed her television was sitting atop the entertainment center. It seemed out of place here._

_The painting on the wall, behind the sofa was varying shades of earth tones. The image was of common Japanese workers gathering rice in the field. Her eyes then returned to the pillows and the rug. It wasn't wheat- it was rice! Rolling her eyes she thought, "Should have known."_

_The kitchen was large and had all the modern amenities- a dishwasher, microwave, convection oven, side-by-side refrigerator with water and ice maker, and all in stainless steel. The tile was something she wanted to rip up and throw out. It was granite-grey linoleum that seemed to blend with the appliances. The counter top matched it, too, causing her to groan. As she exited the kitchen, she mumbled, "When I get a chance, I'm ripping that shit out."_

_She smirked as she noticed Hagi blink in wonder as she headed to see the other parts of the apartment. _

_She noticed the door to the master bedroom was shut, but the bathroom across the hall was pretty spacious. The shower curtain was a plain, sleek black with all the accessories in the same shiny black lacquer against the stark white of the counter tops and walls. What surprised her was the bright red plush rug and seat cover. _"He has an unusual style," _she thought._

_When she arrived at her bedroom, she was surprised to see an actual bed and not those traditional Japanese mats. She figured he would be one of those types. Her ipod dock and bedroom television were already in place atop the long, cherry wood chest of drawers. The rest of her clothes were hung neatly in the closet and her magenta, cobalt, and gold curtains were draped on the window with gold beads. She smiled as she remembered asking Hibiki and Kanade to arrange her room to her specifications. _

_She flopped onto her comforter and felt the cushy mattress underneath. After sighing, she stretched to the switch and clicked it, setting the room in a strange glow. She stood and admired her design. The bed was done in cherry wood, but her various colorful scarves were draped over the bed and glowing as if they were radioactive. The comforter was edged in black, but depicted a man in neon colors as he placed his hands on either side of his head and screamed. He too was now glowing._

_She noticed he had popped his head into the room and she stretched her arms wide, asking, "You like?"_

_In spite of his complete shock at how this young woman could so easily take a lovely space and turn it into a freak show was amazing to him. She then commented, "I am so glad you have western furniture. I was gonna go crazy if I had to sit on the floor and sleep on a thin mat."_

_He stood in the doorway in his usual quite, stiff manner. Inwardly, he agreed with her. He preferred more European styles and was not a big fan of lowering his 6'3" frame to sit cross-legged on the floor. Instead, he began to speak, "While you stay here, I must insist you follow the rules that I lay down for you now."_

_She turned to face him defiantly, arms crossed over her chest. She moved toward him with an eyebrow raised, "Make me."_

_He responded by meeting her gaze and clearing his throat. "I don't like the living arrangements any more than you do. I trust that you will make the best effort to keep peace between us as I will do the same."_

"_What rules?" she asked as she scowled skeptically._

"_First," he demanded, "no smoking."_

"_That's what the balcony's for," she retorted._

_His jaw set in desire to make an argument, but instead, he continued, "No parties."_

"_Don't know anyone to invite. Besides, in case you haven't noticed, I don't make friends."_

_He nodded. "No alcohol."_

"_Stuff doesn't work on me anyways," she replied._

"_No boys."_

_That got her riled. "What the hell do you mean?"_

"_Just what I said," he responded, matching her angry glare._

_She was now an inch from his face, nose to nose. She replied with venom, "Just because you're a prude that probably can't get it up, doesn't mean that I'm anything like that. If I feel like getting laid, there's nothing you can do to stop me."_

_He glared at her and responded, "My place, my rules."_

_She moved back from him and said, "I wish Kai would take me in 'cause you're AN ASS!"_

_He then added, "You will also be attending school soon."_

"_What?!" she shouted._

She smiled as she recalled that day. It was fun verbally bashing Hagi around. Maybe that's why Saya keeps him around. He certainly doesn't fight back much, unless it's with a chiropteran.

The sound of a horn alerted her to Kai's arrival. She gave a huff as she lifted her suitcase and glanced around. With a wry smile she headed down the stairs after locking up the apartment.

As she rode in the passenger's seat, she looked out the window to the beach as it whizzed by. She could see the tomb in the distance. She had noticed the proximity of the tomb to his apartment a couple of days after returning to Okinawa. She knew it was so he could keep an eye on Saya. She was startled out of her quiet thoughts when Kai asked, "So, how's life with your dad?"

She made a horrible grimace and rolled her eyes, "Please, don't call him that…_please." _She sighed and answered, "Well, sometimes it's okay, but mostly he's an ass. It's a nice place, though… and I have a lock on my bedroom door."

Kai smirked, "Is that to keep him out or you in?" When she rolled her eyes, he laughed, "I get it, he always seems like he has a stick up his… well, you know, but that's why I keep telling you that you need to let him in. Talk to him."

"Gah," she grunted. "Kai… he made fucking house rules! I can't bring a boy home, can't smoke inside, and I _have to go to school!_ To school, Kai!"

"Well, what's wrong with that?" Kai asked, causing her to turn her death glare to him. "Smoking is really bad for you, my girls are 30 and still can't bring a guy into their room, and having an education is important." At her grouchy huff, he reassured, "Look, you've been alone most of your life, right?"

"Right," she conceded.

"Had to raise yourself alone pretty much?" he glanced at her briefly before turning his brown eyes back to the road

"Right," she answered as she suddenly felt shameful for arguing and looked at the floorboard.

"So why not let someone _else _take care of you for a while, even if he is an ass?"

For a while, she remained quiet, staring thoughtfully at the floorboard of the minivan. It was only 5 minutes before they pulled into the back of Omoro and Mary Frances turned to Kai. Her brown eyes shimmered, as if she would cry at any moment. She turned her eyes away as she took a breath. Her voice was so quiet, he nearly missed what she said, "He left early this morning- no note. He didn't even say goodbye or anything." She then turned a pair of cold brown eyes at him and informed, "I hate it when he hurts me."

Kai blinked as the girl took off with her luggage into Omoro. He could hear the warm greeting of Riku and the squeals of the girls as they welcomed their cousin for her extended visit. Kai turned his eyes toward the tomb and said, "Hagi, you sure have left me with a mess this time."

~0~

Hagi cradled his queen in his arms. From the sounds of her mewling breaths and occasional babbling, his heart soared knowing she was finally awake. It was pointless at the moment, to tell her anything, she wouldn't understand nor would she be able to do anything about it.

The twin pinpricks in his neck were sealing already, she had taken her fill. He looked down at her. She was already looking better than when she emerged. Her skin was still almost transparent, revealing blue and purple veins. Her body was still swollen from the years and years of swimming in the amniotic fluid, but he had cleaned the viscous liquid off her and dressed her in a full skirt and t-shirt, both in her favorite shade of pink. She was looking better and better with each passing minute.

She was completely asleep in his arms as he pulled a dagger from his jacket and brought it to the nape of her neck, the other hand fisting the impressive length of midnight, silken strands that stretched and spilled around them. He them moved the dagger further down and then back up. He couldn't make up his mind how she would want her hair cut this time.

Recalling those moments at the Zoo, he blinked as he brought the blade down a ways. Those days, her hair fell in beautiful midnight waves down to her hips before they curled back up slightly. How he longed to run his fingers through the length of that hair.

The day that she sliced the length of hair was a day he'd never forget.

_They were called to go to Russia. There were tales of Chiropterans running loose and a rumor that Diva and her chevalier, Amshel were also there. Saya had just awakened from her sleep and was still a bit wobbly. The reaction of the operatives and Joel II was unnerving to her to say the least. _

_The men had jumped from the meeting table in horror. None of them had seen Saya before as it was their fathers that created the Red Shield 30 years ago. They had seen pictures of Saya wearing full dresses and her hair neatly arranged. The girl that stood before them had longer hair, wild eyes, and was wearing a thin, night dress. She looked like Diva aside from the red eyes._

_Her eyes shined with purpose as she turned to Hagi and asked him, "Do you have any of your daggers with you?"_

_The plain silver daggers he had been given by Joel I decades ago were, at the time, his only weapon. He nodded questioningly as he pulled one out of his pocket and handed it to her. She took off to the bedroom where she recalled staying this morning. _

_Hagi was standing behind her with his mouth slightly gaping open. She sliced through her hair, letting the beautiful raven strands fall to the floor. Instead of asking what she was doing, he responded by coming up behind her and taking the dagger._

_Her eyes met his with a pleading expression. She seemed to be saying, "Please, Hagi. I just can't look like her. I don't want to be a monster. Let me do this."_

He had helped her to cut her hair into that short style. When they were traveling in Russia, most people thought she was a young boy as her layers of clothing hid the obvious signs she was a girl.

With a sigh, he brought the blade across. Her hair would be waist length. If she wanted it shorter, he'd let her decide once she was fully awake. The war was over and she would never again have to worry about looking like Diva.

While she slept in his arms, he pulled out his cell phone and spoke just above a whisper as he informed, "Yes, she is awake. I will need a private jet to take us to Bordeaux… You are right. She needs a place that from her past to bring her memories back… 3 days- her eyes are not open yet and she is not ready to be moved… Understood."

As he snapped the phone shut, he noticed she was squirming in his grasp, trying to open her eyes. He attempted to reassure her with soothing words and sounds, but she was already trying to speak. Her mouth and throat had not been active in so long, not to mention her brain. She was shouting incoherently as she managed to break away from his grasp.

As she scurried on all fours toward the light, Hagi called out, "Saya."

She seemed to be reaching for the light as she tried desperately to open her eyes just a crack. The sunlight felt so good and she wanted its warmth against her cool skin. She mumbled, "Mrph… hummuph!" as she reached in desperation for the light and sighed as the warmth beamed down on her.

"Do you wish to sit in the sunlight a while, Saya?" he asked as he moved to her side.

She answered by pulling her knees to her chest and sighing sweetly. The mid-day sun fell on her in full force. It was the late fall and the night air was a bit cool for someone that was only wearing a thin blouse and skirt.

"Would you for me to play something for you, Saya?" he asked as she basked in the sunlight, her swollen eyes opened just a hair's breadth. Her small frame leaned against his leg to capture the warmth there. It gave him a jolt of immense pleasure. After all, it had been 30 years without a touch, word, or even the sight of her. He had missed her greatly.

For a time, they stayed there, staring at the beautiful autumn day. A small breeze blew in front of the entrance of the tomb, but the stone enclosure kept it away from the two inside. The beach was far below them, but the sound of the calm surf lapping against the shoreline was a calming backdrop for her to gather her memories.

That delicious smell came to her nose again. She knew nothing of the words that she needed to form in order to get what it was she wanted, but for some reason, she wasn't frustrated. She was calm and happy. Something gave her peace she didn't know she had needed. This other creature that helped her made her happy… somehow.

She took in a deep breath and tried to place those smells to something, but so far, all her memories were shapeless blobs of color. The smell of this creature made her feel somehow elated, like as if she thought she had once lost this? Her swollen brow briefly twitched, the only hint of confusion she seemed to give.

As if the other being took some sort of hint from her, the warmth of him left. She turned abruptly and uttered, "Wahhh- aya!" Her ears detected the sound of something clicking. She knew this sound from before when she was pulled from the warmth that held her. It meant he was coming back. Her hand frantically gestured as she waved it up and down. "Muph! Uh-muph!" she grunted. Now she felt frustrated since she had no idea to communicate what she wanted.

Sensing somehow that he understood, she relaxed as she felt the tall being lower himself to the stone floor next to her. She reached out and pulled him roughly to sit with her.

"Tay!" she shouted with her finger pointing down. She then turned to let her face feel the warm sunshine.

He blinked at this. She usually wanted him to play for her, but this time, she wanted him near her. She even told him to stay. He was further surprised as he felt her lean her head into his chest and murmur incoherently. She began rubbing her face into his jacket, trying to saturate her nose with his scent. Her fingers came up and clasped the lapels of his jacket as she pulled her light frame into his lap.

He was taken aback as he felt her settle in between his legs as her face moved into the crook of his neck. He stilled himself, ready for the piercing of her sharp fangs, but was surprised to feel her heated breath coast along the sensitive place behind his ear.

LOL ~Random smut~ LOL

She continued to breathe against that part of his neck as he raised his hand and pressed her mouth into his neck. She pushed back a ways and then moved herself back into her previous position. This time, she seemed to have positioned herself in a compromising way over his groin. He wondered what she was doing. Her fingers began to trace his jaw line and the slight stubble there. When she moved to reposition herself to examine his hair, she inadvertently rubbed against him seductively, causing him to throw his head back and stifle a hiss.

She had no idea what she was doing to him. All the years of waiting and now… he was sure he was being punished for what he was sure he had not done. She began to run the strands of silken ebony through her fingers. As he brought his head up to see her eyes were a bit more open and examining his hair, her hips came back down on the growing bulge in his pants while her fingers thread into his hair.

She held his head in place with the hand as her other came up and traced the features of his face. She took a little extra time as she examined the scowl in between his perfectly shaped eyebrows. Resettling her hips caused him to nearly whine as she seemed to have hit a sensitive place. It took all his restraint to keep from pressing his hips up and digging himself into the soft flesh between her thighs.

She usually did these explorations when she awoke, but never while seated on his lap! He felt her hand against his chest, pressing him back. He was now propped up on his elbows as she traced her finger over the veins in his neck, her hips still positioned over his, amplifying his problem even more. Her small body was moving as she tried to reach his ears and then move to his chest before deciding then that she wanted to trace the lines of his eyes.

"Saya," he managed to utter through gritted teeth. He tried to gently press her off, but she only began to wiggle to remain where she was. Deciding that was a bad idea, Hagi tried to convince her to feed again. He pulled her down to his neck, which proved to be even worse.

He felt instead of sharp fangs, her warm tongue, tasting him. His mouth opened in a silent plea. Whether it was for her to stop or to keep going, he did not know. All the blood was rushing from his head and pooling where her ministrations were setting him ablaze.

Her mouth watered as she wondered what this being tasted like. She wasn't hungry, but curious. Her mind did not register the foreign object that was pressing against her insistently, but she knew that it was making her shiver and her body felt so good from those shivers. She suddenly caught sight of something bright and pretty amid the dark soft stuff. She had to have it.

She began to move against him very slowly, torturing him to the point of pain. Her fingers were reaching for the ribbon at the back of his head and he was steadily trying to rise and push her away. The movements of both brought on more friction. He gasped as she finally caught the ribbon in her hand with a shout of triumph, completely oblivious to the problem she had given her poor chevalier.

~Smut over~

She was now crying out in triumph as she jumped off of him and moved back into the sunlight, blue ribbon in hand. The newly awakened queen was oblivious to what she had done. Too busy to notice the sudden departure of her chevalier, Saya bounced happily with a childish smile as she allowed the ribbon to trail over her fingers.

**A/N I know, I know. Poor Hagi. Hope you enjoyed my random silly smut. If you did or didn't, please review. Love you guys so much! Big thanks to Jasper6509 for leaving a review for EVERY chapter. That is so sweet!**


	30. Chapter 30- Wicked Games

**A/N Hey all! As I was writing this chapter, it kinda seemed funny how much Saya acts like Diva in it, but I figured that when she wakes up from her long sleep, she'd be a bit childish. Kai had said in the anime that after she came to live with them, she acted like a little kid and destroyed Riku's book. Funny how I never thought about how much like Diva that behavior is.**

Chapter 30- Wicked Games

Kai smiled as he heard the thundering footsteps of three women running and acting like children. All three raced into the living room and plopped on the sofa. Kai wasn't one for mats and cushions. He liked the idea of keeping things more modern. George had built the pub and designed it to look similar to an American diner, even if the food and drink was Japanese.

He grew up with the sofa in the living room and television for when they decided to have an evening of movies with the family. They even had western style beds in their rooms.

The girls were watching some program on the television and were giggling and bouncing on the sofa. He gave a proud smile as he watched Hibiki and Kanade interact with the troubled girl that looked so much like her father it was unnerving. It was so odd to see that face react with all varieties of emotion.

At the moment she was laughing joyfully at a joke that was clearly at Kanade's expense. His brown-eyed daughter gave a slight pout, looking just like Saya before she retorted with some comment about Mary Frances and the raucous laughter was back. Mary Frances was surprisingly good natured when the joke was on her. She laughed along with them as a slight redness came to her high cheekbones.

She seemed to be opening up to the girls so well. They all then huddled together and Kai decided he was not going to involve himself in the estrogen party that was going on in the living room. He decided to go into the kitchen to prepare for dinner service.

Once he was clearly out of the room and in the kitchen with the door shut, Mary Frances whispered to the two, "So after dinner service ends, we help clean up and then I'll go to my room and get ready. I know Kai likes to go in and check on you about midnight, so get ready and then get completely under the covers. I'll come for you 5 minutes after he leaves."

"Mary Frances," Kanade reasoned lowly, "you have been here going on three days. Don't you think it's a little early to get in trouble like this?"

Mary Frances smirked and answered, "We're only in trouble if we get caught."

Hibiki looked at Kanade and said, "You always want to back out of a little fun. This time, I have an accomplice to make you follow through."

Kanade whacked her sister in the back of the head and retorted, "No I don't back out all the time. It's just… what if Hagi comes back?"

Mary Frances rolled her eyes and responded, "Duh! He's taking Saya to France as we speak. He's not coming back here for at least a week. We can have some fun at his place tonight and I'll have a week to clean it all up- to his perfectionist standards." The last part was nearly growled as she rolled her eyes.

"So, what happens if we bring back guys?" Hibiki asked, causing her sister's eyes to widen to the size of dinner plates.

"You can take my room, Hibiki," Mary Frances delegated, "Kanade, you can have his, and I'm up for anything anywhere, so I'll take whatever."

Now both sisters' eyes widened. "Anything? Anywhere?" they both gasped at the same time.

She smirked and responded, "Is there a problem with that?"

They both looked at each other and shared a shocked expression before reluctantly responding, "Umm, no?"

"Good," she answered and then added, "you scared me there for a minute. I thought you both were virgins with that look plastered on your faces."

Hibiki immediately responded, "No." The defensiveness in her tone made her sound as if she was truly out of her depth. Realizing this, she wiped the defensive look off her face and quirked an eyebrow, "You're just so much more… wild than anyone I've met."

At that, Kanade and Mary Frances erupted in laughter. It took a moment for Hibiki to join them.

~0~

Never before had Hagi felt so completely out of his depth. She had only been awake a week. Her appearance had finally become considered normal. Her eyes were wide and their usual shiny maroon and her skin was no longer translucent. Unfortunately, her mind was still that of a child.

It was almost as if Saya decided to prove that point in repeating occurrences while they made their way through the airport.

While they were checking their luggage, Saya kept unzipping the bags and then squealing with glee when Hagi had to bend down and zip them back up. While doing this for the third time, she found one of her favorite shirts and began whining when Hagi pulled it from her hands and returned it to the suitcase.

Her vocal skills were still very crude, so when she was asked for a passport, she cocked her head to one side and gave a blank, wide-eyed stare to the employee. When Hagi produced the papers, she then wanted to see them herself. She was whining and reaching, causing him to nearly roll his eyes as he allowed her to inspect them. It also caused the employee to look a bit put off as well.

Finally they were free to make their way to the gates. Of course, they had to pass through the metal detectors. Hagi had already anticipated this and all of his daggers, Saya's sword, and all other weaponry was safely stowed inside the case. A special lining covered the inside of the case, courtesy of Joel IV and scientists of the Red Shield. It caused the detectors to malfunction. When the security guards opened the case to examine the contents, all they found was an extraordinarily old and very well-cared-for cello. Only Hagi and a few others knew how to access the secret compartments.

The whole ordeal had Saya fascinated, but that only went so far and she was soon skipping merrily around the large gates of the metal detectors imagining they were boughs of flowers. She was dancing through them and humming some familiar melody known only to herself and her companion.

Finally, his cello was returned to him and they were on their way. Unfortunately, there was no shortage of interesting things to draw Saya's attention. The flashing lights on a sign in the gift shop caught her attention. Hagi jerked his head sideways when he realized she was missing and had to double back to find her. She then began to point and whine again as he attempted to gently guide her away.

This was exactly why he hated to take her anywhere until she fully awakened. She was still not in control of all her faculties and had no idea she was doing anything improper. He could not demand her do something she didn't want to do, but she needed to be controlled if they would be in a public place like this. She needed discipline, but that was beyond his limits as he chevalier.

Thankfully, someone inside decided to turn off that particular sign at that moment, causing Saya to groan out a wordless complaint. He then led her back toward the gate and to the jet Joel VI provided for them.

The chevalier was truly grateful for Joel's generosity. The idea of flying on a passenger jet into Paris with at least 100 more people and a very curious Saya was just not a great mix. On a private jet, she could be curious and not harm anyone- at least he hoped that was true.

With her hand safely tucked in the crook of his arm, he knew she would now be a little more controlled. He began to think as they walked to the gate, reminding himself of why he was doing this. It was true that they needed to be alone together for at least a week and he had to make certain that she only fed from him. As Joel had suggested, it was best that she go back to her first home to regain her memories. It was the longest time she had ever spent in any one location and it was where she grew up.

"Uruh!" The whine drew his attention down to her, but all he saw was the back and top of her black hair. She then turned her heart-shaped face back to him. Her red-brown eyes were dancing with delight as a small smile graced her features. She was pointing to the moving sidewalk a short distance away.

After dealing with Mary Frances for the past month, Hagi's seemingly unlimited patience was wearing thin. Instead of allowing her to go to the sidewalk and succeed in her endeavor to waste precious time, he gently led her away from the sidewalk. For a moment, she began to protest slightly louder and pull a bit roughly as he tried to ignore her pleas.

As they made it to the gate, Hagi let out a breath of air he had no idea he was holding back. When he turned his gaze to meet Saya's, he was surprised to see her rounded red-brown eyes looking up at his with a crease of concern etched between her eyebrows. The look was enough reprimand for him. A bandaged hand came up to her cheek and caressed it lightly, causing her to close her eyes while the etch of concern remained. "I am sorry," he said just above a whisper.

It was such an unusual feeling that welled up inside the newly reborn chiropteran queen. She knew that she had known this man for a long time- how she knew him, she could not tell. At that moment, she felt as if her heart was shattering. Deep inside, she knew this was not something he normally did and the feeling was only amplified by this enormous feeling of loss. It felt as if a massive hole had been ripped in her heart. Who _is _this man to her?

As they boarded the plane, she seemed to calm down for the moment. He led her to her seat and fastened her seatbelt, giving her a feeling of comfort just by is presence. As he pulled back, for the briefest of moments, their eyes met. A shiver seemed to run down her spine as a jolt of electricity shot through her belly. For some strange reason, her eyes widened and she began to stare at his lips.

A flash of light filled her vision and she could feel his lips against her as rain was falling all around her, damping her skin and hair. The feeling coursed through her body. She felt warm and cold, fear and love, excitement and calm all at the same time. Tears were drying on her face as she savored the warm feeling of his lips pressed to hers in a chaste, but loving kiss. _"Our first and last kiss."_

The thought was so clear and precise. She had never recalled anything with such vivid clarity thus far and it frightened her. Her wide-eyed gaze caused the chevalier to look at her with a bit of concern. Another jolt of electricity shot through her arms and down through her fingertips as he placed his bandaged hands on her shoulders and asked, "Is everything alright, Saya?"

She blinked.

He must have taken that reaction as her answer. Her eyes followed as he moved sit in the seat across the aisle from her, giving her a bit of space. She watched intently as he buckled his seat belt, too. She could hear a powerful whining sound coming from outside of the plane as they began to move. Her eyes shot to the man that had brought her here and his stoic gaze turned to her.

Muscles that were tense the breadth of a moment ago now relaxed and the pounding of her heart now settled into a gentle rhythm. His gaze was not the warmest, but for some reason, she felt completely at ease. It wasn't long before her eyelids fluttered and her long lashes finally rested against her cheeks.

Hagi looked over to the woman that had his heart in the palm of her hand. It brought him joy to see her once again, but he knew that joy would be fleeting. His heart clenched in pain at the thought of what a mess she was waking up too.

Argiano and Smith were hiding out somewhere in Germany. The massive presence of several, very strong chiropterans seemed to be emerging from somewhere in East Germany. Sightings extended as far as Hannover, Nurmberg, and Praha. The Red Shield claimed that some of the chiropterans were indeed brown with blue and red eyes, but some were red and black-scaled with blue eyes.

Hagi pressed his head into the head rest and let out a breath. It was no surprise that these new chiropterans were even more difficult to handle. It could only mean that somehow Smith had been able to obtain a sample of Kanade's blood. If he did not get Saya to recall her memories soon, they would all be doomed. The only thing they could hope for was that the sample had been small and Argiano and Smith would not be able to produce many of these new chiropterans.

On top of it, he would have to drop the worst news of all on the queen. His biological daughter was here in Okinawa, living in his apartment. How would she process the information? It was a certainty that she would most likely kill him. It wouldn't take long for her to find out that Mary Frances was conceived and birthed during her long sleep. It looked like he betrayed her.

Steel-blue eyes cut to the sleeping queen once again. She was blissfully unaware of the hell that was to come. Slender arms came up under her jaw as she snuggled on her side and released a breath of air. Her small form then went completely lax as she fell deeper into a slumber. At the sight of the sleeping queen, he resolved, "I will not let her feel sorrow or pain while she is at the Zoo." Her cheek nuzzled the fabric of the seat. "She needs a break from all this fighting."

~0~

Joel was uncharacteristically stressed. He ran a hand through his brown hair that was now peppered with small lines of silver. The worry lines were etching deeper in his features with each passing day. The map in front of him was covered in small red marks, indicating sightings of chiropterans. Black marks overshadowed them and were beginning to take over the red. They indicated deaths from chiropterans.

David had recently been in the board room with the generals and explained to them what the current situation was. If things continued to worsen, they would have no choice but to bring in Hibiki and Kanade.

He could already hear the angry voice of their adopted father, Kai. Those girls were everything to him and he would rather take a bullet himself than let them get involved in this war.

Honestly, he'd rather not involve the twins either, but things were getting out of control. David was already locating the point of origin and they had only one chance to strike, but they needed to pinpoint an exact location. It would cause too much commotion and waste too much time to just walk around, looking for a facility that was creating chiropterans. He had to bring in an entire army to face these beasts.

His head came up as he heard the closing of the door. David stood before him with a grim face. Once blonde hair was now nearly completely grey, more lines etched his features with each passing day. Joel knew that not all of that was his age- it came with the territory of being involved with this war.

The leader of the Red Shield also knew that his once youthful face also suffered the ravages of time. He was now 53 and looked at least a decade older from the stress this war had brought. They had thought it was over only to find the whole thing starting again. The pieces were all in place, but it was a new set of opponents with the same old weapon- chiropteran blood… and this time, it was Kanade's.

David's voice brought Joel from his gloomy thoughts. "Hagi and Saya have boarded the jet and are due to arrive in Bordeaux tonight. Hagi has informed us that Saya is still not ready to fight and will likely be unable to for at least a week," his expression was as no-nonsense as ever.

"Have we located the epicenter of the sightings?" Joel asked as he turned his wheel chair around behind the massive oak desk and gazed out of the bay window.

"Yes," David informed, "it's a small community of farm lands outside of Halle, Germany. We are still trying to prove that it's Argiano and Smith. The facility is an old farm house and barn. What caught our suspicion was the lack of farming equipment and the massive propane tanks that are ordered on a daily basis."

Joel nodded distractedly. "Saya is still unable to fight," he reiterated as he came around his desk using a button on his chair to wheel him around. His head came down dejectedly as he realized he was out of options. He released a breath and ordered, "Go to Koza and retrieve Hibiki and Kanade. I will call Kai to inform him of the situation."

David gave a curt nod and turned on his heel. His serious exterior finally fell into a frown of concern as he looked over his shoulder to Joel, sending him an apologetic look. They both knew this would not go well, but they also knew that their only true weapon in this fight would be Hibiki.

As Joel moved around the office his eyes wondered over all the things that were collected over the years. His predecessors left many objects of fancy: some antique, some modern. His aging hand moved over the chess set, caressing the pieces of carved stone. He recalled, as a young boy, he would come to his father's study and play him using this very set. The black pieces were carved from obsidian and the white from marble.

His cornflower blue eyes turned down to the game under his hand as the situation tumbled through his mind.

His fingers grazed delicately over the obsidian queen. _"Saya,"_ his mind said. _"The queen has all the power- in chess and in this war."_

The manicured hand then grazed the king. _"But in the previous war, it was Amshel that was pulling all the strings. In this war, it is Argiano and I that are facing off."_ His blue eyes moved over to the other side of the board, seeing the white in formation and ready for the battle to begin.

"_The knight." _His fingers traced the contours of the black chess piece as he thought of Hagi. _"He has been fighting the longest of all in this war, and without rest or complaint. He continues on because it is his duty?" _Joel smirked, _"No. Anyone with eyes can see the true reason why he is so selfless."_

As he looked upon each piece, he could find someone to correspond with it. The thought was short-lived as he drew his eyes to the pawns. Eight on each side, stretched out in a row- all ready to defend and offer their lives for the king.

"In the end," Joel said aloud, "they are all pawns." He lifted the shiny, black pawn to his face and looked over every contour of the object. "Their loyalty is so blind- they simply do as they are told and sacrifice willingly- even their very lives."

In his mind, he could see the two young queens smiling and laughing. Their laughter will be ripped from them soon. Soon they will face the enemy for him while he sits in this office. It was the thing that always troubled him about his father and every Joel before- they refused to get their hands dirty and simply had someone else do the job.

Well not this Joel. He may not be able to walk, but he still knew how to get out there and help where he could. The first start would be to call Kai and then Lulu. The Schiff would be the only way to train Hibiki well enough to fight. They could do nothing else- Hagi and Saya were not there to help.

He lifted the phone and dialed the number. After the fifth ring, a gruff male voice announced, "Omomo."

"Kai." He could hear the red-head frowning over the phone and decided it was now or never. "The situation is out of control. Our only hope at the moment is Hibiki."


	31. Chapter 31- Busted!

**A/N Hello my lovelies. My greatest appreciation goes out to you all! Guess what? I give you a lemon! It's not a Hagi and Saya lemon- not yet at least, but still juicy. It is marked like all my other lemons so if you don't want to read it, you can skip it. Enjoy!**

Chapter 31- Busted!

"No way! No way! There is no way in hell you're taking the girls, Joel," Kai ground out as his free hand ran through the grey streaked red hair atop his head.

"Kai," Joel attempted to soothe the angry father, this is a desperate situation. You know that I would not even suggest it if there was another way."

Riku was sitting on the sofa in the living room, but had removed his headphones, hearing every word that his father was shouting into the phone. Growing up around two chiropteran queens was usually a bit overwhelming. There were transfusions and weird things that seemed to pop out of nowhere- like glow-in-the-dark eyes and fangs that could grow and retract of their own accord.

The young man was in his early teens when his father told him the fantastical story all about how they came to be. He would have brushed it off as some legend, but he had grown up around the girls and seen the truth for himself. He had even seen the tomb where Aunt Saya slept… in a massive cocoon. For a short time when he was still a teen, he wondered if Saya would come out as a giant butterfly.

Shaking his head briefly, he cleared the ridiculous thought; he turned his attention back to the conversation in progress.

"No," Kai responded after a long pause, "they aren't here. They went out with Mary Frances last night and called to say that they were staying at Hagi's apartment since it was closer and all."

Riku smirked knowingly. It was perfectly obvious that the _real_ reason the girls were there had nothing to do with how dark it had been outside last night. It was a blatantly obvious fact that Mary Frances lived a very wild life style that he could never comprehend if he lived to be 100 years old. What was even weirder was the fact that his father was still completely clueless about what the girls were _really _doing.

Hibiki was always a bit high strung and free of most normal human inhibition. It was not really a surprise that she went along with this, but Kanade… His stomach felt like it was doing flips under his skin. The mere thought of Kanade doing anything like what they were possibly doing made him feel sick. She was a good girl.

Having enough of this, he grabbed his headphones and covered his ears, attempting to drown his thoughts in music. When he pressed play, the first song that popped up was the one Mary Frances had sent him a few months back.

He ripped the headphones off his head and began to bite his knuckles as he looked outside the window. His brown eyes reflected golden specks, but they conveyed a deep concern. The young man refused to let himself think the worst, but slowly that anxiety was tying him in knots. With a deep sigh, he wished the girls would come home already.

~0~

Shafts of bright sunlight landed along the colorful comforter. It was made from various large blocks of color that sat behind the image of a man's face done in black and grey shadows, his hair and features giving away his heritage. Hibiki recalled asking who the man was before and Mary Frances gave her a curious look and responded, "Jimmy Hendrix."

The only remaining blue-eyed chiropteran queen snuggled her naked body further under the colorful comforter and the masculine arm draped over her. The rustle of fabric sounded amid the grunt of the male turning over in his sleep as he shifted to get comfortable.

Her blue eyes snapped open as she heard the shrill ring of a cell phone muffled by the wall that separated Mary Frances' room from Hagi's. She rolled her eyes knowing that the good little girl next door was going to answer it for herself. After all, the girl brought a guy that was an old friend and they had spent the entire night talking- she knew because she could hear them chatting when the fever of passion extinguished itself between her and the guy she brought back.

The thought of the man brought a warm smile to her face. She was elated when her plan had turn out so perfectly. For months she had kept in contact with the man she had met during the battle in Iceland, without Kai finding out about her second email address. It was her idea for him to meet up with her here in Okinawa, but she had never had the opportunity to find a place they could get away to without Kai getting suspicious.

When Mary Frances returned from the US, the idea just seemed to form out of necessity and her ingenuity. After all, Hagi was going to be in France after Saya awakened so his apartment would be empty, but Mary Frances was the one that suggested the idea of having a sleepover with boys for each of them. All Hibiki had to do was supply them with a place to catch a guy for each of them.

Her lovely Raoul was facing away from her, but she could still feel the tingles of the night they had shared still coursing through her muscles. His masculine scent filled her with a glowing feeling as she thought, _"So this is what it feels like to wake up in the arms of a man."_

She smirked as she noticed she really wasn't in his arms, but she was at least in the same bed with him. Vibrant pinks, blues, and greens reflected off the white walls of the room and even his sweat glistened back as the sun shined through the various scarves that were draped in the window.

~lemon~

With a sigh of happiness, she snaked her lithe arms around him, rubbing his toned abdomen muscles. They were not overly muscular, but he was by no means fat either, he was just perfect. Her hands rubbed over the skin and then began to lazily make their way south.

A mumble startled her from her concentration as her hand finally reached the patch of coarse hair before it found smooth skin again. She released a small giggle as she felt it immediately begin to twitch and lengthen. He was nearly incoherent as he mumbled and yawned, "I forgo how ma-hee ties we ahhh- ready…" His eyes shot open as he felt her hand circle the pulsing length.

Another giggle erupted from her as she felt him roll over and mount her in one movement. Finishing her giggle fit, she asked, "So I guess you're finally awake now." Her only answer was a passionate groan. A hiss of breath came from her as she felt him take her in a single swift thrust.

As he began to move, she felt him stretching her wider and longer, both of them gasping as his hips snapped forward roughly. The thundering of his pulse told her this was going to be a lot shorter than their earlier episodes, which was fine with her. For some reason she was nearing her climax as fast as he was.

Her hands ran down his arms and then to the soft skin of his belly. She then moved them further down to the open waist band of his jeans. She wanted to pull them off of him the first time… and the second time… but by the third time, she had just decided to give into his demanding body.

The sight of her round, prefect breasts bouncing as he rose up and began to roughly drive himself into her faster and harder was causing his body to react against his will. He could feel his climax was nearly there. A groan escaped his clenched teeth as he fought back against that wonderful feeling.

He pulled free of her and took a few deep breaths, calming his body. The way her eyes watched his manhood that seemed to be jumping was more alluring than anything he'd ever experienced before. "Are you okay?' she asked as she watched his grimace and a hiss that came through his teeth.

"I was too close," he responded before he began to tease her bundle of nerves with his fingers, causing her back to arch up with a silent cry for him. "I need you to catch up," he informed.

Her hips were bucking against his actions as his fingers circled around the nub and then he began to caress it with the softest of touches. The pressure and speed began to quicken, causing her to groan as she knew what was coming. His hands moved away. She tossed her head back and thrashed against the pillow.

His hand came back again as he repeated the process. His free hand began to move of its own volition, finally squeezing his neglected member.

A sweet voice startled him from his thoughts as her small hand came to where his hand was and chastised, "No no no." I a swift movement, she was now straddling him, taking him in fully. "Don't think you're getting out of this that easy."

He threw his head back and moaned as she began to lift off him and then come back down slowly at first, but it wasn't long before she began to speed up.

~End~

A knock on the door caused the couple to part with an unsatisfied groan. She turned to him and gave him her most alluring smile as she pulled the covers over their naked bodies. "We'll finish later." She giggled as he hissed and flexed his hips under the blanket. Her blue eyes turned to the bedroom door as she called out, "Come in, Kanade."

The shy sister reached an arm in first and waved, causing the blue-eyed sister to roll her eyes and groan. "Don't worry, Kanade," she said, "we're not gonna do it in front of you."

The brown-eyed sister then moved into the room with a hand still covering her eyes. She asked in a shaky voice, "You aren't naked, right?"

Again the other sister rolled her eyes and groaned, "I said I was decent!"

Puffing out a breath, Kanade finally allowed her hand to drop. Her eyes caught sight of her sister and the man she took home under the brightly colored comforter. As her gaze moved over them, she couldn't help but notice the tented material that was glaring proof she had interrupted them. Kanade's eyes decided to now scan the ceiling- there couldn't be anything embarrassing to look at up there.

"KA-NA-DE," her sister sang impatiently, "I have better things to do than watch you blush." She felt the man next to her shift to his side, hiding his embarrassing predicament from the blushing sister.

Brown eyes turned to her sister and glared. "Well excuse me for having a conscience! After what I saw in the living room this morning, I'm a bit out of sorts."

Hibiki's eyebrows nearly came up to her hairline, wondering for the millionth time what Mary Frances was truly capable of. Without hesitation, the blue-eyed twin leapt from the bed and donned one of Mary Frances' robes. It trailed the floor behind her, but she just had to see this.

Kanade, feeling shy and completely embarrassed being in the room with the man Hibiki brought back, she followed her sister into the hall and barely heard when she asked, "Are they asleep?"

Kanade didn't know what to do. She didn't want to look at the guy but she also didn't want to see what was happening in the living room either. She covered her eyes and crouched in the hall. "Geez, I think I'm scarred for life," she muttered.

"Kanade!" Hibiki hissed as she ran a hand through her short, blue-streaked hair. "Are you gonna tell me or what?"

"When I saw them they were sleeping, but they weren't wearing clothes… or a blanket..." Try as she may, she could not shake the image that came back into her mind. "Oh god!" She squeezed her eyes shut as she buried her face in her knees.

Hibiki huffed as she rolled her eyes and made her way to the living room. Kanade was too good. She always did the right thing and never tried to be bad. Heck, they were at the club until three and she never found even one guy she wanted to take home. She had spent the night in Uncle Hagi's room fast asleep.

One very kinky sight greeted the young queen as she entered the living room. She had to cover her mouth to hide the snort of laughter that threatened to erupt. Her cheeks were a mad shade of red and even she had to admit that she was not expecting anything like this. It wasn't whips and chains, but how they got any pleasure from that position was beyond her.

The two were passed out with their heads on opposite ends of the sofa and their legs entangled, obviously still connected. It made her wonder if they fell asleep during or after. Either way, she knew they would wake soon and probably begin the next round. Speaking of rounds- she had another one waiting in the borrowed room.

She made her way back to the hall where she left Kanande. "Hey, sis." She then erupted in snorts of laughter, causing Kanade to pull her into Uncle Hagi's room where she could let it all out.

Once she was through, she asked, "I had no idea she could do stuff like that! What do you think she's done in her life to make her like that?"

"Hibiki, really?" she asked. "You know how she is. I just can't believe she was actually cheating on him."

Hibiki's eyes met her sister's and she asked, "Who?"

"That guy from the US. He writes to her all the time," she responded.

"Jack," Hibiki offered. "Yeah, I read one of those letters. That boy is completely in love with her, but she keeps tossing his letters before she reads them."

Kanade nodded, "I know. I pull them from the garbage when I find them and place them in a shoe box. Maybe someday she'll read them."

"Hopeless romantic," Hibiki smirked, earning a pillow to the face.

"I wish she'd give him a chance," Kanade added after a while. I bet he'd make her so happy."

Hibiki nodded and then suddenly felt the urge to get back to the room where her prince charming waited. It was a shame they couldn't keep on going with their relationship- he was so nice and he wasn't too bad in other aspects either. Kai was such a worry wart. If only he would accept her as an adult, she could have this man as hers.

After a time, a weak voice called from the floor behind the bed, "Kanade?"

Hibiki leapt from the bed while Kanade groaned through her hands that now covered her face. A very nice looking man with high cheekbones and a medium complexion poked his sleepy head over the bed and gave a yawn. His hand came up and roughed his already messed up hair. His hair was deep brown and cropped short, but the bangs slightly fell around his face. When his eyes opened, Hibiki recognized his hazel eyes. Kanade dated him in high school- Hojo.

Hibiki smirked wickedly and added a devilish little cackle, "So Miss-goody-two-shoes isn't as perfect as she claims to be."

Kanade groaned and responded, "All we did was talk all night, Hibiki. I'm not like you and Mary Frances- I can't do that in Uncle Hagi's apartment."

Hibiki looked at the two and informed them, "If you guys really want to, then you can take Mary Frances' room for a while…"

She quickly was interrupted by two very different responses. Hojo's eyes brightened as he nodded and quickly answered, "Yes!"

Kanade shivered and quickly answered, "Ew! No way!" The thought that she would climb under the sheets after her sister and Raoul was just… sickening. Adding the thought of what Mary Frances probably did in that bed just made the thought worse.

Hojo rose from his small pallet next to the bad and took her into his arms. She could feel his warm lips press light kisses on her jaw and neck before he whispered, "It's been a while, Kanade."

"Not here," she responded and pulled back from him. Her body was heating, causing her to wish they didn't have to part, but there were other concerns that needed to be addressed. Her eyes caught Hibiki trying to leave the room.

Hibiki tried her best to sneak away, but Kanade caught hold of her and said, "Go and get Raoul and bring him here… with clothes on please. Dad called and I need to talk to you both."

Her sister nodded and exited the room. Kanade's no-nonsense attitude was a sure sign trouble was coming their way.

Kanade looked at her boyfriend. Her eyes conveyed things to him that no one else could understand. He was only 22, but she had been dating him since he was 17. Her trust in him led her to tell him what it was that they were. He knew everything and accepted everything as well. He also knew that while they were together, she was in love with her Uncle Hagi. Those feelings had been shattered for a while now and she had decided that she would tell her father about this man who she now loved… and he loved her.

Hibiki returned with a very relaxed Raoul ten minutes later. Kanade cringed knowing why it took them so long, but didn't let their appearance divert her attention. She gestured to her man and introduced, "This is Ojimo Hojo, my boyfriend." She then waved her hand to the man next to her sister and said, "This is Raoul with the Red Shield."

The men shook hands and exchanged greetings.

The young queen then informed them, "Dad called me this morning and was really pissed, but not for the reason we are thinking. It seems that Mr. Joel called this morning and informed him that Mr. David will be coming to collect us. It appears that the situation in Germany is out of control and Aunt Saya is not nearly ready to fight."

"You mean…" Hibiki gulped and then looked at Raoul, "we'll have to fight?"

Kanade bit her bottom lip and nodded. "It seems that those assholes did get some of my blood and you are our only hope." She gestured to Hibiki.

Raoul placed a protective arm around her and reassured, "I will join you and help to fight this new threat."

Hibiki and Kanade both turned to look at him incredulously. Hibiki gently took his arm from her shoulder and responded, "No offense, Raoul, but these beasts are not what you were fighting in Iceland. Even the one's that come from Mary Frances are really tough. You really don't stand a chance." Her eyes turned to Hojo and Kanade as she added, "Only my blood can defeat the new ones."

"There's got to be something we can do to help," Hojo insisted. His light brown eyes turned to the Red Shield soldier that stood before him in a pair of boxer shorts and a t-shirt. The man seemed completely normal, but Hojo couldn't shake the uneasiness that came over him as the man regarded him with cool eyes. Could Raoul really be trusted?

Kanade turned her stern expression to him, "There's already too many people involved in this that will end up getting killed. It'll be hard enough for us to keep Dad out of it. Please, just stay here."

Hibiki groaned, "I guess we better get Mary Frances up. Who wants the honors?" She had a smirk on her face as she noticed the horror in her sister's responding gaze before she turned to Raoul who responded by scratching the back of his neck and pretending he didn't hear her.

Hojo got up, completely oblivious to the situation in the living room. "I'll go," he offered and left the room. Immediately a chorus of snorting laughs erupted from all but Kanade who just looked as if she was about to scold someone.

Less than an instant later, Hojo returned with a very red face that matched the color of Kanade's angry eyes. "That was not funny," she scolded the pair of jokers.

Hibiki sputtered, "What? You didn't stop him either." After a second, she added, "Besides, I don't think we need to do anything. Did you hear the ring tone?"

They all listened carefully and picked up the song "You're Going Down" by: Sick Puppies. Hibiki and Kanade both gave each other horrified looks. It was the ring tone she used for only one person. Both gasped in unison, "Uncle Hagi."

The boys looked at the girls in confusion. "Do you mean the guy that owns this place?" Hojo asked as he remembered it being mentioned the previous night.

Hibiki gave a quick nod before she dashed out of the room to Mary Frances' room. It was obvious she was trying to pack in a hurry while Kanade began to furiously pull sheets from the bed and the pallet on the floor, making a pile near the door. She then pulled fresh linens from the closet and remade the bed.

The guys hurried to help the sisters as they tidied up the rooms. Both had already heard more than an earful about the extremely neat chevalier and judging from the way his room looked, they had a lot to do.

~0~

"The fuck?" Mary Frances muttered as she separated herself from the stranger, feeling a bit tired and not completely satisfied. She thought she had heard her phone go off, but dismissed it as a dream.

Her eyes turned to her partner from last night. His spiked Mohawk was now hanging around his ears, no doubt from the wild night they had shared. It wasn't unusual that she didn't remember the guy's name- she tried not to whenever possible. Hibiki had told her the guy was something called a cosplayer- whatever that meant.

The brown-eyed woman rubbed her face and then her black spiky hair to wake herself, but she was startled to reality by an ominous ringtone. She had picked this song especially for Hagi, it just seemed to match their relationship (if you could call it that) perfectly.

When she lifted the phone, she noticed he had called 3 times now. With a groggy voice, she answered, "What d'ya want?"

"I have called you three times," the monotone voice sounded.

"You're in a good mood this morning," she complained.

"I want those boys out of my apartment… NOW!" he demanded.

"What are you talking about?" she asked. "I'm at Kai's and…"

"Do not lie to me," he interrupted. "Kai and I have already spoken this morning. I want you and your guests out of the apartment in 10 minutes."

"But…" she was shocked she had been caught, but in truth, she really didn't care. "Hey, we still have to clean up…"

"Nine minutes," his firm tone resounded.

She then heard the click of his phone. It took her a minute to realize, "He hung up on me."

**A/N Mary Frances really did it this time, huh. Don't forget to review!**


End file.
